Born To Die
by Brandi Golightly
Summary: Scarlett McAuley was the good girl in high school who went on to graduate valedictorian and attend an Ivy League school. Jem Coughlin was the resident bad boy who was convicted of murder and sentenced to prison. When Scarlett returns to Charlestown and runs into Jem, her life gets turned upside down. Jem/OC.
1. Prologue

**Hello everyone! This is my first ever fic for _The Town_ so I hope it doesn't disappoint. If you're here because you read my other fics for _The Avengers_, and you were interested in reading this, I hope you like it. This part is only the prologue and it takes place while Jem and my original character, Scarlett, are in high school. Everything else will take place when they're older. So please read, review, and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own _The Town_ or Jem Coughlin. I only own Scarlett McAuley and any other original characters who may be introduced in this story.**

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**Prologue**

Seventeen-year-old Scarlett McAuley was in third period AP Physics lab when she and her classmates heard a commotion from the hallway. At first, they thought nothing of it since it was a common occurrence for students to get into altercations with one another or even teachers. But when they heard the Miranda rights echoing throughout the hall, they knew something serious was going on.

"James Coughlin, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you."

Scarlett's head snapped up from her lab sheet when she heard Jem's name. James "Jem" Coughlin was the resident bad boy of Charlestown. He had a mouth as filthy as a sailor's and a temperament like a ticking time bomb. But everyone knew he had a soft spot for some people in his life, such as his best friend Doug MacRay.

But Jem's bad boy reputation didn't keep Scarlett from harboring a secret crush on the 18-year-old. Sure he was a loose cannon and he had quite the temper, but there was something about him that Scarlett found enchanting. She knew that, deep down, there was probably still some good in him.

"Hey, you guys!" said a boy who poked his head into the classroom. "Jem Coughlin is getting arrested. They say he killed a guy!"

There was a split second as the students absorbed the information before scrambling out of their seats and heading for the door. Scarlett stayed glued to her seat as she watched her classmates battle one another to exit the room. When everyone was out in the hallway, Scarlett put her pencil down with a sigh and headed out of the room.

Students were lining the halls as two police officers walked with a handcuffed Jem. The officers walked with determination while Jem had a blank disposition. It was as if it didn't quite faze him that he was being arrested and that he didn't care all that much.

Scarlett pushed her glasses on top of her head and swallowed nervously. She really hoped he hadn't killed someone. She hoped he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and was being wrongly accused of this heinous crime. However, deep down, she highly doubted it.

As the police officers and Jem passed by Scarlett, Jem and Scarlett locked eyes. It was only for a second before the police officers guided Jem to turn down the next hallway but it was the first time he'd actually looked at her. There had been times in the past when he would catch her staring at him and she would quickly look away and brush it off as if it didn't happen. But this time around, it was on both of their terms.

It wasn't as if they would end up together. She was the resident nerd who spent her time studying while he bided his time by doing drugs and getting into fights. And it wasn't as if she didn't like having fun either. She'd been to a couple of parties with some of her friends but they just weren't her thing. Every once in a while was okay, but even then she couldn't bear to be at them for more than an hour.

It was then, as the teachers shepherded the students back into their classrooms, Scarlett vowed she would try to have a little more fun in the future. Maybe college would change her. She would still study and work hard but she would try to live a little.

And then maybe, just maybe, if she returned to Charlestown later in her life, people wouldn't see her as the nerdy girl who spent her time studying. Maybe she could be the girl who worked hard while also having fun. She could be someone else entirely.

But as she sat back down at her desk during third period AP Physics lab, she was pulled back to reality and she shook her head at how incredibly stupid it seemed to even think that herself – or even anyone for that matter – could change.

* * *

**I hope this small update is enough to get you guys to stick around. Reviews are very much appreciated and they'll give me an insight as to whether I should continue this or not. If I do, updates will be much longer. For those of you that have read my other fics know that I write really long chapters. So please leave a review and let me know if it's worth continuing!**


	2. 12 Years Later

**Thank you so much for the feedback on the prologue. As promised, this chapter is longer and I hope you like it. Enjoy!**

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**12 Years Later**

Jem and Doug sat at the bar, taking long swigs from their beer bottles as they watched the Red Sox game on the flat screen TV. The bar was particularly crowded tonight – it always was when there was a Red Sox game – but the fact that it was nearing Memorial Day definitely contributed to it. Former residents of Charlestown were returning to visit their family members by day and reconnect with old friends at the bar by night.

The bell above the entrance dinged as the door opened to let in more patrons. Instinctively, both Jem and Doug turned around to see who it was. Walking through the door was a group of three girls with their hair done up, makeup slathered on their face, and dressed to the nines. They were laughing at something the dark haired girl had just said as they made their way to the other end of the bar to occupy an empty table.

Jem and Doug turned around and focused their attention back on the Red Sox game, silently taking swigs of beer. The Sox were down by three runs and Jem and Doug were not amused. They had a lot of money riding on this game, so they hoped the Sox pulled through.

It wasn't long before one of the girls approached the bar to take some drinks back to the table. She sidled up next to Jem and waited for the bartender. Out of the corner of his eye, Jem could see that the girl was extremely attractive. Her blonde hair fell a little past her shoulders in loose waves. Her lips were full and plump with a nude colored lip gloss. Her eyes stood out the most of all her features since they were lined with smokiest of eye shadow and eye liner.

She was a petite girl too, but she was curvy at the same time. Her red dress hugged her body in all the right places. And though she was thin, Jem could see she had some meat on her bones.

When the bartender finally reached the blonde girl, Jem expected her to order some kind of fruity drinks. But she ended up surprising him and asked the bartender to get her three shots each of whiskey, vodka, bourbon, tequila, and rum. When the bartender asked if she preferred a certain brand, she responded with, "I don't care about the rest but just make sure the whiskey is Jameson's."

Jem choked on his beer when he heard that. He sputtered as he struggled to clear his airways and it wasn't long until he felt Doug clapping him on the back for assistance. Jem barely knew the girl next to him but he liked her already. She seemed like she went hard with her liquor, and her boobs and ass weren't too bad either.

"What the hell? You alright?" Jem heard Doug ask him.

"I'm fine," Jem snapped as he held his empty beer bottle up to signal to the bartender that he was ready for another.

At that moment, the Sox scored a home run and the bar erupted in cheers. There were two innings left and the Sox were down by two. If they kept it up, they could tie the game and it could go into extra innings.

"Could be a close one," the bartender said as he passed Jem his beer. The bartender then set a tray filled with shot glasses on the counter and slid it to the blonde next to Jem. "Here you go, Scarlett. It's nice to see you back in Charlestown."

"Thanks," the blonde said. "It feels good to be back."

"That's good," the bartender said before pointing to the tray of shots. "And by the way, it's on the house."

The blonde thanked the bartender before walking away with her tray of liquor to rejoin her friends. Jem couldn't help but watch her walk away out of the corner of his eye. The way that her hips swayed with every step she took was absolutely mesmerizing.

"Ah shit, I knew she looked familiar when she walked through the door," Doug said.

"What? Who?" Jem said as he tore his eyes away from the blonde's rear end.

"Blondie," Doug said, nodding in her direction. "That's Scarlett McAuley."

"No," Jem said. "That's not her."

"It's definitely her," Doug said. "She was the resident nerd in high school but college must have been good to her."

"Where'd she end up going?" Jem asked as he took a swig from his beer bottle.

"Harvard," Doug answered.

Jem scoffed. "There's no fucking way Harvard was good to her. Harvard's full of a bunch of pricks with sticks up their asses."

"She gave a pretty good speech at graduation about being whoever you wanted to be in college," Doug said. "I guess she took her own advice."

Jem just shook his head as he took another swig from his beer bottle and returned his attention to the Sox game on the TV. Doug shook his head too, knowing that the conversation was over. The two men returned their attention to watching the game in silence.

However, every so often, Jem couldn't help but sneak a glance over at Scarlett's table on the other end of the bar. He still thought that there wasn't a chance that the sexy blonde girl in the corner was Scarlett McAuley. Jem and Scarlett had been in two totally different social groups in high school. Scarlett was more into academics while Jem was more interested in drugs and drinking.

However, that didn't mean he didn't know who she was. Scarlett and Jem had attended a relatively small high school so their classes were small. Only about 200 students were in each class.

Jem had even seen her at a couple parties he'd gone to in high school, which is why he didn't believe the blonde girl in the corner was her. The Scarlett McAuley he knew didn't like parties. She usually stood in the corner sipping on a cup of beer and scrunching up her face in disgust every time she swallowed it. She was never dressed appropriately for the parties either, usually dressing in the frumpiest attire and hiding every asset on her body. Her hair would be thrown up into a messy ponytail and her face was devoid of any makeup. To top it all off, she wore the geekiest glasses on the face of the planet.

But all of Jem's doubts were put to rest when he had glanced over at Scarlett's table once again and their eyes locked. Until then, he didn't think this blonde bombshell was the nerdy Scarlett McAuley from high school. But when their gazes locked, all of his doubts were washed away. There was no way he would forget eyes as crystal blue as hers. They were the only pair of eyes that he looked into the day that he got arrested that didn't judge him. In fact, those eyes had been scared for him.

It had only been a split second, like the day he had gotten arrested, but it was all he needed to confirm that this girl was indeed Scarlett McAuley.

* * *

It was around three in the morning when Scarlett and her two best friends, Lacey and Rachel, left the bar. It had been an all-around good evening. Their first round of shots were free. The Sox ended up winning the game after going into extra innings. And for the first time in 12 years, Scarlett saw Jem Coughlin.

Scarlett had spotted Jem the moment she walked into the bar and noticed that he hadn't changed much since that fateful day at school when he was arrested. He still looked the same but he looked much older than was. The nine years in Walpole, combined with his use of drugs and alcohol over the years, didn't really help the aging process. But in any case, he still seemed the same to Scarlett.

"Ah fuck, I'm way too drunk to drive," Lacey said as she slurred her words but she still pulled her car keys out of her purse.

"Hey, dumb shit, put your keys back in your bag and I'll call my brother to come pick us up," Rachel said as she pulled her phone out of her bag. The group of three stood on the sidewalk outside of the bar as they waited for Rachel to call her brother to come pick them up. When he agreed, Rachel shoved her phone back into her bag and then hugged her arms to her chest.

"So Scarlett, Jem was here tonight," Rachel said teasingly.

"Oh my God," Scarlett groaned. She knew it had been a mistake to tell Lacey and Rachel about her crush on Jem when they were in high school. Lacey and Rachel were her best friends so it had seemed right for her to tell them about her crush on Charlestown's notorious bad boy but all they had done was tease her about it.

"You know, not that he wasn't in high school, but he looks totally fuckable now," Lacey said.

"Lacey!" Rachel and Scarlett shouted.

"What? He does," the curly haired brunette said as she shrugged her shoulders.

Rachel shook her head before turning her attention back to Scarlett. "Anyways, I'm surprised you didn't say anything to him while you were up there getting our drinks. You were right next to him."

"Why would I say something to him?" Scarlett asked. "We never talked in high school so why would we talk now?"

"Umm, because we're grown-ups now and we don't have high school cliques holding us back," Rachel said, the "duh" of her statement fully emphasized.

"_And_," Lacey chimed in. "He looks fuckable."

"You are really drunk," Scarlett stated.

"It wouldn't be a successful night out in Charlestown if I wasn't," Lacey said as she brushed off Scarlett's statement with a wave of her hand.

Scarlett rolled her eyes at Lacey. Leave it up to Lacey to get wasted at a shitty bar in the heart of Charlestown during a Red Sox game.

"Well, we're still two totally different people," Scarlett said. "It would never work."

"Maybe in high school," Rachel said. "But you're a different person now. Jeez, you could probably drink him under the table and he's a heavy drinker."

"Why does this have to be about my drinking abilities?" Scarlett whined. "Yes, college changed me but I'm working as a lawyer now and God knows what he's doing. We're still from two totally different worlds."

"Oh _please_," Rachel scoffed. "Did you see the way he was looking at you tonight? College was good to you. He would not have thought twice about looking at you in high school but now, you look like you deserve to be in the Victoria's Secret swimsuit catalogue."

Scarlett rolled her eyes again. Lacey and Rachel had been surprised that Scarlett had a good body underneath all of the sweatshirts and baggy pants she'd been wearing all those years. The surprise eventually turned to anger because they couldn't believe she had been hiding this from them after all those years. That eventually changed in college when they had forced her to wear more flattering clothes for her figure. In response, boys took notice and sometimes Scarlett would leave a party with more boys' numbers than Lacey and Rachel combined.

"Why don't you just try talking to him?" Rachel suggested.

"I don't know…" Scarlett said hesitantly.

"Oh come on, what would it hurt?" Lacey chimed in.

"Umm, how about me?" Scarlett said.

"Look," Rachel said bluntly. "You're moving back to Boston for that new job. I think you should pursue him. Who knows, maybe it could turn into something good."

Scarlett wished she had some sort of comeback, but she didn't. If she had been going back to Philadelphia, she would consider pursuing Jem. Then, if she made an ass out of herself, she wouldn't have to worry about running into him in Philly. But now that she was moving back to Boston, pursuing Jem seemed even more intimidating. If she made an ass out of herself, she would have to worry about running into him.

"Ah, you're considering it. She's considering it!" Rachel squealed.

"If I try it, will it shut you up?" Scarlett snapped.

"Yes, yes, a thousand times, yes!" Rachel squealed as she threw her arms up in the air out of excitement.

As if he knew she needed to be saved, Rachel's brother pulled up to the curb to pick up the girls. Rachel slid into the front seat while Lacey and Scarlett climbed into the back. Scarlett rested her head against the window as she watched the bar disappear from view.

She knew this was a bad idea, but after all these years, Jem had been at the back of her mind. Even after those many make out sessions with the frat boys and after that time she lost her virginity to the experienced law student, she still couldn't help but wonder where Jem was. It seemed obsessive but all she wanted to know was that he was okay. She wanted to know that prison hadn't consumed him.

But maybe Rachel had a point. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Rachel probably had a point. Jem had been looking at her the entire evening and they even locked eyes for a split second. Maybe there was something there that just needed a spark to light the fire.

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**I hope you guys liked this! I know I liked writing it. Also, I don't quite know how old Jem is in _The Town_ so I just made him 30 for this fic. He's definitely not 30 in the film but let's just roll with it. I haven't read the book _The Town_ is based on yet so I can't really draw from that.**

**As always, thank you for adding this to your favorites, signing up for alerts, and reviewing. Reviews are very much appreciated. Without them, I won't write so you should leave a lovely review to let me know what you think!**


	3. Just Drinks

**Hey guys! I was going to post this last night but I ended up working until ten then I had to be at work again at eight this morning. Oh fun. But I have the next chapter here for you and I really hope you like it. Enjoy!**

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**Just Drinks**

It wasn't until after Memorial Day weekend when Scarlett actually talked to Jem. And when she did, she wasn't prepared for it. She had been walking into Town Flowers to order a bouquet for Rachel because she had just gotten promoted at her job and Scarlett had thought it would be a nice gesture.

She parked in front of the shop and locked her car as she headed into the building. She wasn't really paying attention to where she was going as she was shoving her car keys into her purse when she collided with someone. Her keys went clattering to the ground and she bent down to pick them up.

"Ah shit, sorry," Scarlett blurted out as she stood up straight and came face-to-face with Jem Coughlin. Scarlett felt her whole body freeze up as she looked into the tired eyes of her high school crush. This encounter could go one of two ways. They could exchange apologies for running into each other and be on their way, or they could have an actual conversation.

"Scarlett, right? Scarlett McAuley," Jem asked for confirmation.

Scarlett's jaw nearly dropped. He knew her name. Well, he was more along the lines asking for confirmation but he knew her name.

"Y-yeah," Scarlett stuttered. "Umm, yeah, hi Jem." Scarlett would've rolled her eyes at herself if Jem hadn't been standing in front of her. Nearly 30 years old and she couldn't properly say hello to someone.

"I heard you just moved back to Charlestown," Jem said.

A conversation. They were going to have a conversation!

"Yeah, I used to work at a law firm in Philly but I got a job here to be back home," Scarlett said.

"Law firm," Jem said as he nodded in approval. "So you're a lawyer?"

"Yes."

"You must be a good one if you can switch jobs easily."

Scarlett let out a nervous laugh. "Hardly. I just got lucky enough that there was an opening and they gave it to me."

Jem nodded in understanding. "So what brings you to the florist?"

"Flowers," Scarlett stated. "What else?"

"Ah," Jem said as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Dumb question."

"No, it's okay," Scarlett said as she shook her head. She could feel a smile spreading across her face so she bowed her head and bit her lip to hide it but to no avail. There was no doubt that Jem saw it anyways.

"I've got to get going," Jem said finally and Scarlett felt her heart sink. "It was nice catching up."

Scarlett nodded her head. "Yeah, it was nice."

Jem nodded at her as he slipped past her. He slid his shades onto his face from where they were perched atop his head. When Jem was past her, Scarlett squeezed her eyes shut as she reveled in the past few minutes. She'd actually had a conversation with Jem Coughlin but now that was all over.

But Scarlett didn't want it to be over. College may have changed her but her confidence level around guys was never that great. But right now, Jem was near her. They'd had a conversation, albeit a short one. It was now or never.

"Hey!" she shouted as she spun around to see Jem doing the same. She swallowed nervously as she realized what she was doing. All she had to do was go for it. If he said no, he said no. At least she would have tried. "D-do you maybe want to get a drink sometime? We never hung out in high school so maybe…I don't know. It's stupid. Never mind."

Scarlett shifted to turn away from Jem and walk into the shop. She should've just walked into the shop when he walked away. That way she would have saved herself the embarrassment.

"Sure, why not?" she heard Jem say.

She whipped around, nearly tripping over her own two feet. "Really?" she asked.

Jem shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, it's just drinks," he said.

Scarlett's heart slightly sank when he mentioned that it was just drinks, but she had to remind herself that that was exactly what it was. She wasn't asking him out on a date because she preferred to be the one who was asked out and going to a bar wasn't exactly the right place for a first date anyways.

"Okay," Scarlett said as she let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding. "Okay." She stepped forward as she pulled out a pen and a scrap piece of paper from her purse. She quickly jotted down her cell phone number before handing it off to Jem. He eyed the piece of paper before shoving it into his coat pocket.

"I don't know if you're busy or what but, umm, just give me a call when you're free," Scarlett said as she smiled at him.

"Yeah, I'll call you," Jem said.

Scarlett smiled at him again and he nodded in return. Without exchanging anymore words, the two went their separate ways, wondering when they'd see the other again.

* * *

When Jem returned to the apartment, Doug was sprawled out on the couch, flipping through the channels on the TV. Jem nodded at Doug to acknowledge his presence before heading into the kitchen to grab a beer from the fridge. He snapped the bottle cap off and took a swig before heading back into the living room to plop down in the arm chair.

The two friends sat in silence as Doug continued to channel surf for something good on TV. He finally settled on a superhero movie on FX and tossed the remote on the floor.

"Fergie good with the plan?" Doug said, not taking his eyes off of the TV.

"I don't think he gives a shit either way," Jem said. "Just as long as he gets his money."

Doug nodded, keeping his eyes glued to the TV. Jem took another swig of his beer before reaching into his coat pocket to pull out the piece of paper with Scarlett's number on it. He stared at her tidy scrawl and how neat and perfect the loops of the nines and eights were.

"What's that?" Jem heard Doug say. Jem lifted his head to see Doug looking right at him, the movie on the TV forgotten.

Jem crumpled up the piece of paper before putting it back into his coat pocket. "Nothing."

"Didn't look like nothing," Doug said.

"It was a girl's number," Jem said with a shrug.

"Since when do you get girls' phone numbers?" Doug asked.

"Since Scarlett McAuley came back to town," Jem shot back.

Doug smirked at Jem. "I knew you always had a thing for her."

"How the fuck would I have had a thing for her? We didn't even know each other."

"Come on. I'm not fucking retarded."

Jem rolled his eyes before finishing off his beer. He didn't want to have this conversation with Doug so he got up from the arm chair and headed into the kitchen. He tossed his beer bottle into the trash and then headed to the fridge to grab another.

"You gonna call her?" Jem heard Doug say.

He turned around to see Doug leaning against the entry way to the kitchen with his hands shoved into his pants pockets and a smirk plastered across his face. Jem snapped the bottle cap off and took a swig. "She wants to get drinks sometime."

"So fucking call her up and ask her to get some drinks tonight," Doug said eagerly.

"Isn't there some stupid fucking rule about three days or something?" Jem said as he took another swig from his beer bottle.

"Like hell I know," Doug griped. "Just call her up. If she was willing to give _you_ her number, clearly she wants to hang out with you."

"Why do you make it sound like a bad thing?" Jem scoffed.

"She may have changed, but she was the good girl in high school. _That_ doesn't change," Doug said. "She always did her homework. She graduated valedictorian. She went to Harvard Law School but for some reason, she wants to hang out with you."

Jem rolled his eyes as he took another swig from his beer bottle.

"Just call her," Doug said before leaving the kitchen to flop back down on the couch. Jem saw him retrieve the remote from the floor and he started to flip through the channels again.

Jem finished off his beer in the kitchen and then he headed to the front door.

"Where are you going?" Doug asked.

"For a walk," Jem grumbled before slamming the door on his way out.

* * *

It was nearly ten o'clock at night as Scarlett searched through the boxes she had carelessly shoved into her townhouse's living room. She was glad she had labeled everything. Otherwise, going through all of her stuff would take her forever. But she still wished she had at least managed to put the boxes in their rightful rooms as opposed to just shoving them in the living room in her haste to get the big move over with.

She had been going through a box of office supplies when she heard the faint ring of her cell phone from somewhere in the room. She cussed as she tripped over a pair of shoes in her haste to find her phone. Luckily, she found it on the coffee table on its last ring. Without checking the caller ID, she answered it.

"Hello?" she said breathlessly.

"Hey," Scarlett heard the familiar Boston-accented voice of Jem Coughlin on the other end. She couldn't help but smile to herself. Nearly 30 years old and she couldn't help but smile when a guy acknowledged her. "It's Jem."

"Yeah, hi Jem," Scarlett said. She nearly smacked her palm on her forehead at how stupid she sounded.

"Hey, yeah, I know we just saw each other earlier today but do you maybe want to get those drinks?" Jem said.

Scarlett felt her heart flutter but she had to remind herself to stay calm. It was just drinks. "Yeah, when?"

"Umm, now?" Jem asked hesitantly.

"Give me a place and I'll be there," Scarlett said as she started to slip her shoes on.

"Umm, just the usual bar. You know, from the other night," Jem said.

"Yeah," Scarlett said as she snatched her purse from behind the couch. "I'll be there."

* * *

After Jem had left the apartment, he found himself alone at the bar. He'd only had two beers in the day so far, so he ordered another one and the bartender immediately served him. After three beers and not even feeling the slightest bit buzzed, Jem pulled out the piece of paper with Scarlett's number on it and stared at it. He was kind of lonely at the bar and he wasn't going to call Doug to come hang out with him. Jem was still kind of pissed off at him from the conversation they had earlier. But as Jem stared at Scarlett's number, he realized that Doug was right. He needed to call her.

And so he did. He expected her to not answer seeing as she probably wouldn't recognize the number but on the last ring, he heard her breathlessly answer the phone and Jem swallowed nervously. He was pretty sure he interrupted something important so he hadn't been sure if he should still go for it. But he did, and she accepted. Then again, Scarlett had been the one to ask him to go out for drinks in the first place but he still expected her to say no. It was last minute after all.

It was about 20 minutes later when Scarlett walked through the door of the bar. She was dressed down in a pair of skinny jeans, a sweatshirt, and a pair of beat up Converse sneakers but her hair was still in its soft waves hair do like it was earlier in the day. She was wearing a small amount of make-up, enough to tell that she was wearing some.

She spotted Jem at the bar and took a seat on the stool next to him. She slammed her small purse on the counter as she flashed a smile to him.

"Thought you weren't going to show," Jem mumbled innocently.

"Of course I would show up," Scarlett said. "Unpacking is a bitch. I need something better to do." Scarlett flagged down the bartender and asked for a Guinness. The bartender nodded before turning away to get her drink for her. He was back moments later and slid the bottle across the counter for her.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have called you," Jem said apologetically.

"No, no, it's fine," Scarlett said. "I literally lived out of boxes in Philly. I never got around to unpacking when I moved there."

"That's a little pathetic," Jem said jokingly.

"Just a bit," Scarlett shot back sarcastically before smirking at him.

Jem couldn't even believe this was the same Scarlett McAuley from high school. This Scarlett had so much more confidence than the Scarlett from high school. This Scarlett liked to drink beer and whiskey whereas the Scarlett from high school could barely down half of a Red Solo Cup filled with Bud Light. And this Scarlett had asked him to have drinks with her whereas the Scarlett from high school had never said a word to him.

As he glanced at Scarlett out of the corner of his eye, he wondered what other surprises she had in store for him.

* * *

It was around three in the morning when Jem and Scarlett left the bar together. Jem was slightly buzzed but Scarlett was wasted beyond belief. About an hour after she had started drinking at the bar, she had asked the bartender for something stronger. At that point, she had started tossing back shots of Jameson's and an hour later, Jem joined her.

He was surprised that she could handle her liquor. After about seven shots, she was still slightly coherent and she hadn't even thrown up. If Jem hadn't quit and ordered another beer, he was pretty sure he would've been the first to throw up the strong alcohol.

As they stepped out of the bar into the cool early summer night air, Scarlett stumbled over her own two feet. Jem was there to grab her and keep her steady but Scarlett just giggled.

"I am a _very_ clumsy drunk," she said.

"Yeah, no shit," Jem shot back.

Scarlett rooted around in her purse before yanking her keys out. She eyes the shiny jumble of keys before heading up the sidewalk to her car.

"What are you doing?" Jem asked nervously.

"Going home," Scarlett said matter-of-factly.

"You're drunk," Jem stated.

"Well so are you," Scarlett retorted.

"I walked here."

"Well…" Scarlett said as she trailed off, unable to come up with a comeback. She folded her arms across her chest and started to pout.

"Gimme your keys. I'm a better driver when I'm drunk anyways," Jem said as he reached his hand out for her to hand him her car keys. She eyed him for a second before reluctantly handing her car keys over to him. She nodded up the sidewalk to let him know they still hadn't reached her car. When they reached her car – a black Volkswagen Jetta – Jem unlocked the doors using the remote and they both slid into their respective places. In no time, they were on their way.

They sat in silence, only having the silence broken when Scarlett would tell Jem to turn down a certain road. Though she was completely drunk, she still remembered how to get home from the bar. When they finally pulled onto her street, she directed Jem towards the parking spot in front of her townhouse and he paralleled parked with perfection.

Cutting the engine, he pulled the keys out of the ignition and handed them to Scarlett. In the darkness of the early morning, he could see a smirk playing on her lips as she took the keys from him but without a word, she climbed out of the car and closed the door behind her. Jem did the same and followed her up the front stairs to make sure she got in the house okay.

Unfortunately, she was still really drunk and she was having difficulty climbing up her front steps. She struggled to find the key to her front door, which was strange since there were only three keys on the key ring. When she finally found it, it took her a couple tries to actually slide the key into the lock but when she did, she ended up stumbling into the house when she opened the door.

She flipped on a switch that flooded the hallway behind her with light and then she turned around to face Jem.

"Umm, do you want to stay here tonight?" she asked.

"Why?"

"You don't have a car," she said.

Jem knew she was drunk, which was most likely why she was asking him to stay the night. Even in his buzzed state, he knew he shouldn't. He didn't want her to get the wrong idea like most girls in the past have. But they'd just had drinks as friends. What could it hurt?

"Yeah, yeah," Jem said as he climbed the rest of the steps and stepped into her house. She shut the door behind him before stumbling up the stairs to the second floor.

"Guest room is the living room," she slurred as she tripped on one of the stairs. "Too many boxes, not enough time."

Jem didn't like the way she was slurring her words and the way she was walking. He knew he shouldn't follow her upstairs, but he did. He stumbled up the stairs as well, but not as badly as Scarlett had. He watched her veer off to the right and he did the same once he reached the top of the stairs. There was only one light on and it was coming from a room at the end of the hallway. He headed down the hallway and stood in the doorway of the room to find Scarlett lying on her king sized bed, fully clothed. He stared at her for a couple seconds before heading into the room.

"Mmmm, I think I drank too much," Scarlett moaned as she slapped one of her hands to her forehead. She moaned again as she rolled over onto her stomach, her arms tucked underneath her and her legs hanging over the foot of the bed.

"Are you gonna take your shoes off?" Jem asked.

"Hmmm, take them off for me. I'm too lazy and too drunk," she said as she rolled over onto her back again and lifted her right foot. Jem stared at her for a second before stepping forward and untying the laces of her sneaker. When it was untied, he pulled the shoe off of her foot and tossed it behind him before moving onto the next one.

"Jem, I wanna…I'm gonna tell you something but you can't tell _anyone_," Scarlett slurred as she waved one of her hands in the air.

"Okay," Jem said as he struggled to unknot the laces for her other shoe.

"You have to promise," Scarlett said as she pointed at Jem.

"Promise," he mumbled as he pulled off her other shoe.

"I had…_the biggest_ crush on you in high school," Scarlett admitted. Jem let go of her leg as he glanced up at Scarlett. Her eyelids were drooping and she looked like she was about ready to knock out for the night. "But it would have never worked because guys didn't like me and I was a nerd."

Jem was unable to process what she had just said. Was she telling the truth because she was drunk? Or was she messing with him _because_ she was drunk? She sighed and he watched her crawl up to the other end of the bed and burrow underneath the covers. With another sigh, she settled into her bed before immediately drifting off to sleep without another word to Jem.

Jem stared at her motionless body for a couple more seconds before heading out of the room. He flipped the switch to plunge the room into darkness and then headed down the hall. As he headed down the stairs to the living room, he couldn't help but let what Scarlett said take over his thoughts. He wanted to know if this was true, but then again, she had been drunk. Maybe she was only admitting it because she was drunk, or maybe she was just messing with him.

As Jem sat down on the couch, he figured she wouldn't remember and maybe he wouldn't either. But that was something that they wouldn't find out until morning.

* * *

**Oh boy, let this be a lesson learned kids. Don't ever have drinks with your crush if you _don't_ want him to know you have a crush on him. Otherwise, it may just end up like this haha. I hope you guys liked it and I thank you so much for your feedback. Twelve reviews, wow! That's twelve reviews more than I thought I was going to get haha.**

**As always, thank you for adding this to your favorites, signing up for alerts, and reviewing. Reviews are very much appreciated and they motivate me to write so please leave me a lovely review to let me know what you think!**


	4. Student Loans

**Hey everyone! I'm still loving all the feedback you're giving me so keep it coming. I hope you guys like this chapter. It's starting to fall in line with the movie. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Student Loans**

Scarlett was sure that if an elephant could sit on her head, this hangover would be exactly what it felt like. As she gently pushed herself up onto her elbow, she squinted at the sunlight that was streaming through her windows. Normally she would sleep with the curtains closed but in her drunken stupor last night, she'd forgotten to shut them.

As she pushed herself up into a sitting position, she heard the muffled ringing of her cell phone. Glancing over the edge of her bed, she noticed her bag on the floor and she reached for it. She opened the flap of her bag and the ringing immediately grew louder. She rooted through her bag and fortunately found her phone at the bottom. She pulled it out and found the caller ID flashing Rachel's name.

She pinched the bridge of her nose as she slid her finger across the screen to answer the phone. She pressed the phone up against her ear as she mumbled a hello.

"Fuck, you sound like shit," Rachel said.

"Well good morning to you too," Scarlett grumbled as she pushed the covers off of her body and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She rested her elbows on her knees and held her head in her hand. "I can't remember a damn thing from last night."

"What'd you do?" Rachel asked.

"I was at the bar with Jem."

"_You what?_" Rachel shrieked.

"Shhhh!" Scarlett hushed Rachel as she stood up from her bed and headed out the bedroom. She padded down the hall and headed downstairs to make herself some coffee. "Inside voice, Rach."

"I just can't believe it. You went out with Jem Coughlin."

"It wasn't a date, Rach," Scarlett said, almost disappointedly.

"It doesn't matter. You actually hung out with him!"

"Yeah, well, I wish I could…remember it…" Scarlett trailed off as she reached the bottom of the steps and glanced into the living room. She noticed an unfamiliar lump curled up on her living room couch. She took a couple steps forward for further inspection before realizing it was Jem. She gasped as she bumped into one of the boxes, causing it to tumble to the floor with a _thud_. Jem stirred on the couch, rubbing his eyes to focus on Scarlett in the doorway to the living room. When he noticed her, he quickly jumped up and started putting his shoes on.

"_What?_" Rachel shrieked from the phone.

"I'm gonna have to call you back," Scarlett said as she hung up on Rachel without another word.

"Sorry, sorry," Jem said apologetically as he stumbled into his shoes.

"No, no, it's okay. You just scared the shit out of me," Scarlett breathed.

"I'm just guessing you don't remember inviting me to stay the night," Jem said. "You told me to crash on the couch."

"Yeah," Scarlett said as she noticed the tattoos on his muscular forearms. "Umm, yeah, I just forgot. I can't remember anything from last night."

Jem had to admit that he was actually disappointed. He wanted to know if what she admitted last night was the truth or just a cruel, sick joke. Unless everything eventually came back to her, he assumed he'd never know. Scarlett may have changed but there's no way she would admit something like that sober.

"Yeah, me either," Jem lied in hopes of making her feel better about the situation.

"Fuck," Scarlett cussed. "Well, I was going to make some coffee if you want some. If you need to go, I understand…"

"Coffee's good," Jem said with a nod.

"O-okay," Scarlett stuttered as she nodded her head. She headed into the kitchen and she felt Jem's presence a couple steps behind her. She kept her eyes trained forward as she set up her coffee maker and poured in enough coffee grinds for two people.

She pressed the button for it to brew and she turned around to face Jem, only to see him roaming around the kitchen and gazing at the room.

"This is a nice place you got," he said. "You own it?"

Scarlett laughed. "No, I wish. One of my co-workers owns it and I'm renting it from her. I'm still paying off my college loans so I can't quite afford to buy a house."

"That sucks," Jem grumbled. "I guess it's a good thing I went to prison instead of college."

Scarlett stayed silent since she wasn't sure if it was appropriate to laugh or not. It seemed like a joke and she understood why he said it. No one wants to be in over their heads in debt from college loans.

"You can laugh at that," Jem said with a smirk.

"Oh," Scarlett said bluntly.

At that moment, the coffee finished brewing and she searched through her cabinets for two mugs. The kitchen was the only room out of the entire house that she had organized. The only thing that was organized in her bedroom was her bed. Everything else was a complete mess. She set the two mugs on the counter and then removed the pot to pour the coffee. She handed the first mug to Jem and then headed to the fridge. She pulled out the milk and held it up for Jem as if to offer him some. He nodded his head and then set his mug on the counter. Scarlett poured a little bit of milk in her mug before handing the carton over to Jem. He did the same as she handed him a spoon and it wasn't long until they were sipping their coffee in silence.

As much as she couldn't believe Jem was standing in her kitchen, she looked anywhere but at him. She stared into her mug of coffee. She stared at the clock on the wall. She stared at the pictures of her family and friends which she had taped to the cabinets. But she didn't look at Jem because she wasn't sure if she could. She couldn't remember a thing from last night so God knows what ridiculously embarrassing things she did after she'd blacked out. She knew she was acting childish and like an immature teenager but what did you do when your high school crush was standing in your kitchen? She barely knew the guy in high school so she didn't know where to start a conversation aside from shooting the breeze.

Jem finished off his mug of coffee and set it down on the counter. "I should probably get going," he said. "Got stuff to do."

"Yeah, yeah, me too. These boxes aren't going to unpack themselves," Scarlett joked. Literally, she said the stupidest things around him. Why couldn't she talk like a normal person around him?

"Thanks for letting me stay the night," he said. "Oh, and the coffee," he added.

"Yeah, no problem," Scarlett said as she nodded her head. She was disappointed. He was leaving and they'd barely talked. If they'd talked at all last night, Scarlett didn't even remember it.

"Umm, do you maybe want me to drive you?" Scarlett asked. Maybe she could make this last a little longer. She did remember him saying before she blacked out that he had walked to the bar. He must've driven them back to her townhouse because Scarlett knew she was a terrible driver when she was drunk. Good thing the one and only time she did it, no one was in the car and she'd gotten home safely. She did remember being all over the road and sideswiping another car parked on the street. At least she had been nice enough to leave her insurance information.

"I can walk," he said as he shrugged his shoulders.

"It's not a problem. I can drive you," she said.

Jem shrugged his shoulders as if to say "Why not?" Scarlett set her mug on the counter before telling him she'd be right back. She ran upstairs to fetch her keys and her purse before running back downstairs. Jem was waiting by the front door when she reached the foot of the stairs.

In silence, they left Scarlett's townhouse and headed to her car. They slid into their respective seats and Scarlett pulled out of her spot to head down the road. For the first couple minutes, they sat in silence. The only sound was of the radio faintly playing a pop love song. It wasn't until they reached the shadier part of Charlestown did Jem pipe up and start giving Scarlett directions to his apartment.

When Scarlett pulled up to the curb outside of the building, she put the car in park and turned towards Jem. Her eyes locked on his blue-grey ones and she wasn't quite sure how long they stayed like that. It was quite some time before they actually broke the silence.

"So, umm, last night was fun, even though I can't remember it," Scarlett said.

"Yeah, yeah," Jem agreed. "We should…maybe we could do it again sometime."

Scarlett felt her heart flutter. She swallowed lightly before nodding her head. "Yeah, that sounds great," she said. "Y-you still have my number, right?"

Jem nodded. "Yeah, I'll call you or text you or…something."

"Yeah," Scarlett said simply.

Jem nodded and without saying so much as another word to Scarlett, he pushed open the passenger side door and climbed out of the car. He ducked his head into view to thank her for the ride and then he closed the door. As she watched his retreating back, she took a deep breath and released it before watching him disappear into the building. She smiled to herself as she put the car in park and pulled out of the parking spot. Suddenly, she felt like one of those giddy teenage girls whom she always rolled her eyes at because they couldn't wait to see the boy they liked again.

* * *

The next week, Scarlett started her job at the new law firm that Monday. That was also the day a bank in Charlestown, Cambridge Merchants, had been robbed. Scarlett had been incredibly frustrated that morning because the police had blocked off the road that the bank was on so they could continue their investigation in peace. Unfortunately, Scarlett needed to use that road to get to her job and going a different route would make her late. To her dismay, she chose going a different route. She was late for work but so were several other employees so Scarlett wasn't faulted for it.

Her first day of work wasn't bad. There had been several meetings to discuss upcoming cases and figure out who would be assigned what. But for the most part, it was a calm day at the office. Scarlett made a couple friends, including Charlie who was also experiencing his first day at the firm. However, while Scarlett had experience, Charlie was fresh out of college, having graduated from Boston University's School of Law. She learned that Charlie wasn't from Boston at all, but from a suburb of New York City. He went to Boston University for his undergraduate studies and had intended to go to Harvard Law School, but he didn't get in. So, he just stuck with Boston University for law school but it worked out for him in the end since he graduated with top honors and a job at the law firm him and Scarlett were currently working at.

When five o'clock rolled around, the firm closed up and everyone was dismissed to go home. Scarlett and Charlie walked out of the law firm together before branching off to their own cars to go home for the day. All in all, it was a good day.

As Scarlett drove through the shadier part of Charlestown, she found that Jem was slowly creeping back into her mind. She hadn't seen or heard from him since the morning after their drinking antics. She just sincerely hoped that wasn't going to be the last time she heard from him.

When she reached her townhouse, she parked in an available parking spot along the curb before putting the car in park and gathering up her belongings. She locked her car and then headed up the front steps. She unlocked the door and dropped her belongings right inside the door. She had barely shut the door when her phone started ringing from her purse. She frantically searched for the mobile device before finally pulling it out from the bottom of her purse. The caller ID said Rachel and she answered it.

"So have you heard about this bank robbery?" Rachel said the moment Scarlett answered the phone.

"Hello Rachel. My first day of work at the new law firm was great. Thanks for asking," Scarlett said sarcastically as she walked into the kitchen to grab something to drink.

"Sorry," Rachel said apologetically. "It's just…this is crazy. It's been a while since I've actually paid attention to the news for Charlestown."

"It's okay," Scarlett said as she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. She shut the fridge door by shoving it with her hip. Sipping on the ice cold water, she walked into the living room and flopped onto the couch. She glared at the piles of boxes that still needed to be organized and sent to their respective rooms. At that thought, she let her head loll backwards as she pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance.

"So," Rachel continued. "They say that these guys nabbed a shit ton of cash and they took the bank manager hostage when they left."

"Well that's a lovely way to start a work day," Scarlett mumbled. "I indirectly had to deal with that bullshit this morning."

"Caught in traffic? I heard they shut down the road the bank was on," Rachel said.

"Yeah, I was late for work, but so were a bunch of other people so they didn't blame me," Scarlett said.

"Well that's good," Rachel said. "So, have you heard from Jem since that morning?"

"Get right to the point, why don't you?" Scarlett said with a laugh. "I knew Jem had to be the reason you were calling me."

"Well, has he?" Rachel coaxed.

Scarlett had to admit that she was kind of disappointed that Jem hadn't called her or texted her since that morning. She assumed he was probably busy and she assumed that he thought the same for her, but she thought maybe she'd get another call from him asking to hang out.

"No, he hasn't," Scarlett said with a sigh. "I didn't really expect him to but I'm still really disappointed."

"He'll come around," Rachel said confidently. "If he doesn't, I'll kick his ass."

Scarlett laughed. "Do you really want to be threatening a guy who went to prison for murder?"

"True," Rachel said. "But I don't think he'd hit a girl, except for maybe his trashy sister."

Scarlett had to laugh at that one. Jem's sister, Krista, had been in their class in high school. Rachel and Scarlett never had classes with her because, simply put, they were smarter than her. But they knew for a fact that Krista would never go anywhere in life. And, of course, she had gotten herself knocked up a couple years ago when she was high and drunk. Rachel, Lacey, and Scarlett didn't expect anything less from her.

Scarlett stayed on the phone with Rachel for a half-hour before Scarlett mentioned that she needed to organize her boxes. Rachel bid her goodnight and the two friends hung up. Scarlett glanced at the remaining boxes in her living room before getting up from the couch to grab another bottle of water from the kitchen.

As she passed by the front door, she noticed something on the floor out of the corner of her eye. She stopped in her tracks and turned to face the door to find a bulky manila envelope lying on the floor several feet away from the door. While Scarlett was on the phone with Rachel, someone must have slipped it through the mail slot on Scarlett's front door. It was far too late for mail to be delivered so Scarlett was confused as to why this was here.

She took a couple steps forward and bent down to pick up the envelope. It was pretty heavy and bulky. She squeezed the enveloped as a means of trying to figure out what was inside. Hesitantly, she flipped the envelope over and pulled up the metal tab. Opening the flap, she pulled apart the envelope to find several wads of cash inside. She stared at the money with wide eyes before noticing the note shoved in between part of the envelope and the money. She reached into the envelope to pull out the note, only to find a message written in untidy scrawl.

_Those student loans aren't going to pay themselves._

Scarlett's jaw dropped. She tore her eyes away from the note as she stepped forward and yanked open the front door. She stepped out onto the steps to look around for any sign of life, other than her neighbors. There was no telling when the money had been dropped off but she couldn't be too sure. She peered into the dark night but didn't seem to find what she was looking for. Or more like _who_ she was looking for.

As she stepped back into her house and shut the door behind her, she shoved the note back into the envelope and sealed it. Though she wasn't 100 percent sure, there was a part of her that was certain that Jem Coughlin had something to do with this.

* * *

**So Jem gave Scarlett money from the bank robbery in the beginning of the film so she could pay off her student loans. How sweet. But things are just getting started.**

**With that said, I hope everyone has a very merry Christmas (or if you celebrate Hanukkah, I hope you had a Happy Hanukkah; or if you're going to celebrate Kwanzaa, I hope you have a Happy Kwanzaa). Eat lots of turkey and cake and pie because I know I will. I won't be updating this story any time between now and Christmas, but you can hopefully expect an update for _To Rome With Love_ (my Avengers/Clintasha fanfic) tomorrow. I will hopefully be back with another update for you on Wednesday. If not, Thursday for sure.**

**As always, thank you for adding this to your favorites, signing up for alerts, and reviewing. Reviews are very much appreciated and they motivate me to write so please leave me a lovely review to let me know what you think!**


	5. Confessions

**Hey everyone! I hope everyone had a nice holiday. I still appreciate all the feedback you're giving me so keep it coming! Here's the next chapter and I hope you like it. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Confessions**

As much as Scarlett needed the money that had shown up at her house, she knew she needed to give it back. How exactly she was going to do that, she wasn't sure. She wasn't certain that Jem was the one who gave it to her so she didn't want to accuse him. A lot of people knew she was neck deep in student debt. But the note had used similar words Scarlett had used to refer to unpacking her boxes and Jem was the only one around for that. Scarlett didn't think it was a coincidence.

However, Scarlett didn't want to call him up and ask him. She thought it seemed tacky and she was also nervous. Even thinking about calling him made her heart race in a nervous sense. Then again, she didn't even know _how_ to ask him. No matter which way she arranged it in her head, it always sounded wrong. So she shoved the envelope of money in her lockbox in her office upstairs and hid the key in a safe place. Until she could get to the bottom of the situation, she didn't want to touch that money. She didn't even want to go near it.

She went about her business as if nothing happened. She acted as if she hadn't found an envelope full of cash sitting inside her door. But the thought of the possible thousands of dollars sitting in her lockbox made her nervous. It wasn't her money and it wouldn't be until she got to the bottom of this situation.

But she had a hard time hiding how she felt about it. The money was always at the back of her mind. She couldn't focus at work because she worried that when she got home, she'd find her home broken into and the money gone. She would drive home 20 miles over the speed limit, potentially risking her life and the lives of others. She even had a hard time sleeping, knowing that the money was in the room next to hers.

It was after her first week of work that Scarlett decided she needed to relax. So she called up Lacey and Rachel, asking them if they wanted to go to the bar on Saturday and get some drinks. Both girls quickly obliged and Scarlett felt relieved. She just needed to forget her worries for a couple hours and have a little bit of fun.

When Saturday night rolled around, Lacey and Rachel met Scarlett at her house. Lacey had offered to be the designated driver since she had been way too drunk the last time they went out. So they piled into Lacey's car and headed to the bar. As per usual, the bar was packed and street parking was a bitch to find. After about 15 minutes of circling around the neighborhood, Lacey found a spot a couple blocks away from the bar. She quickly squeezed into the space and the girls climbed out of the car.

They walked through the door of the bar with determination and they immediately started scoping out the place for tables. All three girls' eyes landed on a table to the left of the door but Scarlett practically felt her heart stop. Lo and behold, the only available table in the entire bar was the one next to Jem's. Scarlett stayed rooted in her spot in the doorway as Lacey and Rachel headed to the empty table. Her eyes were locked on Jem, but he didn't seem to notice that she was there. She shook her head to pull herself out of her trance and then followed Lacey and Rachel to the table. She reached the table and took a seat diagonally from Jem's line of vision.

"So, what are we getting tonight?" Lacey asked.

"Umm, you're designated driver. _You_ are getting water or juice," Rachel said. She turned to Scarlett as she rested her elbows on the table and tucked her hands under her chin. "So, what are we having?"

"Anything that takes a load off," Scarlett sighed.

"You want to talk about your week?" Lacey asked.

"Lace, we came to a bar to drink, not to talk about our feelings," Rachel countered.

"Just…I've had a lot on my mind this week. It wasn't such a great week," Scarlett sighed.

"Well, I will drink whatever you want. Just tell me and I'll go get it," Rachel said.

"I'll go up," Scarlett said as she climbed out of her chair. She pulled her phone out of the side pocket of her purse as she slipped away from the table. She needed something to entertain herself while she was waiting for her drinks.

She approached the bar and asked the bartender for three Guinnesses and six shots of Jameson's. As the bartender walked away to get her drinks for her, she felt her phone buzz in her hand. She checked the screen to see a text message from Rachel. Scarlett rolled her eyes as she opened the message and read it.

_Jem was staring at your ass as you walked away_, it read.

Scarlett rolled her eyes. Of course Rachel would notice something like that. Scarlett was curious to see if Jem was still staring but she knew that if she looked over, it would be obvious. As she waited for the bartender to bring her drinks to her, she quickly typed back a message to Rachel, curious to know what Jem was doing.

_Is he still watching me?_ It read. Scarlett pressed send and then set her hands on the edge of the bar as she waited for her drinks. The bartender brought the tray of drinks and Scarlett thanked him and told him to put it on her tab. She balanced the tray in both of her hands as she cautiously walked back to the table. She set the tray down before slipping into her seat.

"Aw, Scarlett, you shouldn't have!" Lacey exclaimed when she noticed the third bottle of Guinness. She snatched the bottle off of the tray and took a long swig. Rachel rolled her eyes at Lacey before taking her own bottle of Guinness from the tray and doing the same.

"That's the only one you're getting tonight," Scarlett said with a laugh as she took her own bottle and took a swig from it. Scarlett was already feeling relaxed. She was with her friends and she had good alcohol. Everything would be perfect if Jem wasn't sitting at the table next to hers.

"So, are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" Rachel asked.

"Yes, I'm sure," Scarlett said. "The move and the new job have been a lot in the past couple of weeks. I just have a lot on my mind. I'm sure it'll clear up soon." But Scarlett knew better. As long as that money was still in her possession, her mind was still going to be a jumbled mess.

"Ah fuck, look who's here," Lacey sneered as she took a swig of her beer. Both Rachel and Scarlett turned around to see Jem's sister, Krista, seated next to Doug at the bar. Scarlett glanced over her shoulder to see the seat Doug had previously been sitting in vacant; she hadn't even seen him get up.

"Trashy bitch," Lacey grumbled.

"Lacey, shut up!" Rachel scolded as she nodded towards Jem's table. Though Lacey, Rachel, and Scarlett had been in more advanced classes than Krista in high school, that didn't mean they could avoid being in the same gym class. While Rachel and Scarlett had been put in the same gym class, Lacey got stuck in the gym class with all the athletes and dumb bimbos and Krista just so happened to be one of those bimbos.

To make matters worse, Lacey had always been put on the same team as Krista when they played team sports. While Lacey tried her best to participate and contribute to the team, Krista continuously flirted with their gym teacher, who was 20 years her senior. One day, Lacey had gotten so fed up with Krista flirting with the gym teacher instead of participating that Lacey started a shouting match with Krista. Shouting turned to hair pulling – and for the record, Krista started the hair pulling – and both girls ended up in the principal's office, concluding the meeting with a week's worth of detention for both girls. Lacey has hated Krista ever since.

"Oh, are you still holding a grudge from when she got you detention?" Rachel teased.

"No teacher 20 years older than you is going to want to sleep with you," Lacey grumbled. "Especially when said teacher is happily married with three kids."

Both Rachel and Scarlett snorted a laugh before simultaneously lifting their beers to their lips. The girls were almost finished with their beers when they noticed Doug follow Krista out of the bar.

Rachel rolled her eyes as she brought her beer bottle to her lips. "You think he'd learn," she said as she shook her head. She finished off her beer and slammed the bottle on the table. Scarlett finished hers off as well and set the bottle on the table before reaching for one of the shot glasses filled with whiskey. Without hesitation, she tossed back the strong liquid and set the shot glass down on the table. Instinctively, she reached out for another shot and tossed it down her throat as well.

She coughed as she felt the strong alcohol slide down her throat and suddenly she felt like she couldn't breathe. It had been a while since she tossed back shots one after the other like that so her body wasn't quite prepared for it. She coughed as she tried to clear her airways but all she really needed was some fresh air.

"Scar, you okay?" Lacey asked, her voice dripping with concern.

"Yeah, yeah," Scarlett said, waving her hand as she rose from her chair. "I just need some air."

She headed out of the bar, continuously coughing until she burst through the door and her feet hit the sidewalk. She breathed in the cool summer night air as she felt her constricted airways clear up. She knew that she wasn't in college anymore so she didn't know why she downed the whiskey that quickly. But it had felt good for a second and she could feel the alcohol already starting to take effect.

"You alright?" Scarlett heard from behind her. She felt her body freeze as she recognized the thick Boston accent.

"I'm fine, Jem," Scarlett replied. "Just downed two shots in a row. I haven't done shots that quickly since college."

"You sure it's not something else?" Jem asked.

"Nope," Scarlett lied. It was true, technically speaking. She wasn't accustomed to downing two shots in a row that quickly but most of it had to do with Jem. The fact that he had been so close to her in the bar had put her on edge. The only thing to take the edge off was to drink.

"Liar," Jem scoffed.

Scarlett let out a nervous cough before turning to Jem. "Excuse me?"

"Something's on your mind," Jem said. "You may have your friends fooled but not me."

"You were eavesdropping," Scarlett said. She wasn't sure if it was more of a question or a statement.

"Kinda hard not to when you and your friends are sitting next to me," Jem said. "Oh, and do you think I give a shit what you think about Krista? Bash on her all you want."

Scarlett swallowed nervously. Did he know that she was nervous because of the money? Did he know that she suspected it was him that gave it to her?

"Get your stuff," Jem ordered. "We're going for a walk."

"What?"

"You heard me."

Scarlett blinked at Jem blankly before nodding her head nervously. She headed back into the bar and made a bee-line for her table. She grabbed her phone and hoisted her purse onto her shoulder. "Umm, I'm going for a walk," Scarlett said before turning away from the table and walking off without giving Lacey and Rachel a chance to answer.

She stepped through the doorway and found Jem standing in the spot on the sidewalk where she had left him. She approached him and merely nodded to let him know she was ready. Jem nodded back and turned to head down the sidewalk. Scarlett fell into step with him as the noises from the bar slowly began to fade away.

It wasn't long until they found themselves at a deserted park in a nicer part of Charlestown. Jem opened the gate and held it open for Scarlett to walk through. She politely muttered a thank you before following him to the swing set on the playground. They both took a seat on a swing but didn't start to swing.

"So, what exactly has been on your mind?" Jem asked.

Scarlett carefully arranged her thoughts before admitting the truth. "I…recently came into some money. _A lot_ of money, and I don't know who sent it to me," she said anxiously. She knew it sounded vague and innocent the way she phrased it, but she hoped that Jem didn't think she was going to eventually accuse him.

"Why's that a problem?" Jem asked as he shrugged his shoulders.

"The person who sent it to me told me to use it to pay off some of my loans," Scarlett said. "I have no idea who sent it to me and I can't just take money not knowing where it came from and who gave it to me."

"Maybe it was one of your relatives," Jem suggested.

"No, can't be," Scarlett said as she shook her head. "The most I've ever gotten from a family member was $1,000 and there was definitely more than $1,000 in that envelope. And as far as I know, no one has died recently for me to inherit anything.

"It's just really strange," Scarlett sighed as she continued. "It's a lot of money and I can't just pay off my debt without knowing where it came from."

Silence fell between Jem and Scarlett. Scarlett glanced down at her lap and kept her eyes trained there. She knew there was no chance Jem would admit to giving her the money. Of course he would play it cool and suggest everyone else but himself. She was a fool for thinking he would admit it to her.

"It was me, Scarlett." Then again, she could be wrong. She whipped her head to the side and stared at him in shock. She hadn't even expected him to admit it and yet he did. Her suspicions were confirmed and now she didn't even know what to say.

"Come on. You knew it was me all along. Admit it," Jem said.

"I-I…yeah, I did, but I didn't even think you'd actually confess to it," Scarlett said nervously. "And I didn't want to accuse you or anything."

"I've been accused of worse," Jem said with a smirk. "But now you can take the money and pay off your loans and your mind will be at peace."

Scarlett had to admit that it felt good to finally know that Jem was the one to give her the money but there was still a part of her that couldn't take it. It was a lot of money and Jem could probably use it more than she could. Going to prison for manslaughter didn't exactly put you on the good side with employers so he was probably making little to no money whereas Scarlett was making plenty.

"I…no, I'm sorry, Jem. I can't take it," Scarlett said as she shook her head. Jem frowned in response. "You did it out of good intentions but I can't accept it. It's a lot of money. You deserve to keep it."

Jem rolled his eyes before standing up from the swing. Scarlett felt like she had hurt his feelings or even ruined whatever they had between them by declining the money he'd sent her. But wherever he got it from or whoever he got it from, he deserved to have it.

"Jem, I'm sorry," Scarlett apologized. "It was very thoughtful but it's your money."

"Whatever," Jem grumbled. "I'll just take it back and get out of your hair." He clasped his hands behind his neck as he started to stomp off the playground and towards the gate. It took a couple seconds for Scarlett to process that Jem was leaving, but when she did, she scrambled to get off the swing. Tonight, she was thankful she had worn a pair of flat sandals. Heels would've just made running after Jem a pain in the ass.

"Jem! Jem, wait!" she shouted as she caught up with him and grabbed him by the arm. He yanked his arm from her grasp but stayed planted on the ground a few feet away from the gate. "Look, I said I was sorry," she continued. "And I appreciate it and it was very thoughtful but I'm just saying that wherever or whoever you got the money from, you deserve to have it. It's yours."

Jem stared into Scarlett's crystal blue eyes and she stared back into his blue-grey ones. Even in the darkness of the night, her eyes shone brighter than the stars and it reminded him of the day he got arrested. They reminded him that maybe there was still hope for him. And tonight, as he stared at her in the dim moonlight, he was reminded of that once again.

"You wanna get outta here?" he asked in his husky Boston-accented voice.

Scarlett was caught off guard. He had gone from grumpy to completely calm in two seconds. But he was asking her if she wanted to leave with him. She felt her heart start to race and she swallowed nervously as she nodded her head in agreement. She saw Jem smirk before she felt his fingers lace through hers and pull her through the gate of the park and into the darkness of the night.

* * *

**Oh boy, I don't know about you guys but I think things are getting good haha. But I'm biased because I'm the author haha.**

**As always, thank you for adding this to your favorites, signing up for alerts, and reviewing. Reviews are very much appreciated and they motivate me to write so please leave me a lovely review to let me know what you think!**


	6. Only The Beginning

**Once again, the feedback you guys keeping giving me means a lot. Keep it coming! I think you guys are really going to like this chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Only The Beginning**

Jem and Scarlett had decided that going back to her place would be more reasonable. They figured that they didn't want Doug or Gloansy or one of Jem's other friends walking in on them and ruining their alone time. Besides, Scarlett's place was nicer and Jem didn't really want her to see the way he lived because he was sure she wouldn't like it.

On their way back to her townhouse, they stopped by a liquor store and bought a bottle of Jameson's and a bottle of cheap vodka. Leaving the bar early didn't mean they had to stop drinking and since Scarlett hadn't gotten around to stocking her place with hard liquor, they needed to make the pit stop.

It wasn't until they were halfway back to Scarlett's townhouse with the liquor did Scarlett realize she had forgotten to let Lacey and Rachel know she wouldn't be coming back to the bar. She pulled her phone out of her purse and quickly typed a message to Lacey that she had walked home. She received a quick reply that said she understood but Scarlett knew she'd get questioned the next day. There was no chance that they didn't suspect that she hadn't gone home with Jem.

When they reached her townhouse, Jem quickly parked in a vacant spot at the end of the road. As soon as the car was parked and turned off, they gathered their belongings and headed up the sidewalk to Scarlett's house in silence. Jem followed her up the front steps and Scarlett shoved the key into the lock to unlock the front door.

The moment the door popped open, Scarlett felt her heart start to race. She didn't quite know where everything was going to go from here. When Jem asked her if she wanted to leave, she hadn't even thought about what they were going to do. She had just been eager enough to be in his presence longer. Now that they were both back at her townhouse with two bottles of liquor, she couldn't even imagine where this was going.

Scarlett felt Jem's presence behind her as they made their way through the dark hallway to the kitchen in the back of the house. She flicked on the lights and headed straight for the cabinet that held all of her glasses for alcohol. She heard Jem set the bag down on the counter as she pulled out two shot glasses from the cabinet. Turning around, her eyes met Jem's for a second before she cast her eyes downward and set the shot glasses on the counter.

Jem pulled the bottles of liquor out of the bag without a word and popped both of them open. Without even asking Scarlett which one she would prefer first, he poured some of the golden Jameson's liquid into each shot glass before handing one to Scarlett. Not that she cared that he didn't ask. Just as long as it took her mind off of the past week and it made her have a good time, she didn't care one bit.

They both raised their shot glasses in a toast and then downed the strong alcohol with ease. They slammed their shot glasses on the countertop with a _clink_ before raising their heads to lock eyes once again.

"Umm, so, I should probably give you that money back before I forget," Scarlett muttered nervously.

"Yeah, I guess," Jem said as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

Scarlett nodded and then crossed the kitchen to head down the hall. She heard Jem following her and when she rounded the bottom of the stairs, she could see him out of the corner of her eye. They climbed the stairs and headed to her office where the lockbox was kept. She grabbed the key from its hiding place in a small keepsake box in the closet and unlocked the lockbox. She pulled out the crumpled up envelope and then crossed the room to hand it to Jem. Instinctively, he opened the envelope and surveyed its contents.

"However much was in there in the first place, it's all still in there. I swear," Scarlett said nervously.

"I trust you," Jem said as he folded the flap of the envelope over. "It's just…habit."

"Sorry," Scarlett muttered apologetically.

Jem tilted his head to the side and narrowed his eyes as he looked at Scarlett. "You say sorry a lot."

"Sorry," she said again before laughing lightly. "A lot of people say college changed me but I'm still the goodie two shoes from high school."

Jem chuckled. "You're a little more outgoing than you used to be."

"Yeah, I guess," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. Jem quickly looked over Scarlett. There were hints of her from high school still in her. Her hair was still the same shade of blonde and of course her blue eyes were still as blue as ever but she was still the nervous, introverted girl he knew. She was a little more outgoing but around certain people – such as Jem – she was incredibly nervous and fidgety.

"So, umm, maybe we can go back downstairs?" she suggested.

"Yeah," Jem said. Scarlett nodded as she brushed past him to get out the door, their bare arms brushing against one another. Scarlett stiffened at the sensation but continued down the hall to the stairs. She felt Jem following her as they headed downstairs and back to the kitchen.

The moment Scarlett stepped back into the kitchen, she swiped the bottle of cheap vodka off of the counter and poured herself some of the clear liquid into the shot glass. She heard Jem set the envelope of cash on the counter as she downed the harsh liquor. She turned around to face him and caught him staring at her.

"What?" she asked nervously.

Jem smirked as he tilted his head to the side. "Since you're giving me my money back, you have to answer something for me."

"Huh?" she asked, arching one of her eyebrows.

"I did something nice for you," Jem said. "But you didn't want it so in return, I want you to answer a question for me. It's the least you can do since you didn't like my gift."

"Okay," she said as she poured herself another shot of vodka.

Jem watched as the clear liquid cascaded into the tiny glass until Scarlett pulled the bottle away. She picked up the shot glass and looked at Jem, arching her eyebrow as if to tell him to fire away.

"Did you have a crush on me in high school?" he asked bluntly.

Scarlett coughed nervously as the harsh liquor struggled to work its way down her throat. She coughed several times until the burning sensation partially subsided. She turned around and wrenched open the fridge to grab a bottle of water. Nervously twisting off the cap, she downed a couple sips of the cool water before looking over at Jem, who had a smirk plastered across his face.

"I'm sorry?" she asked in bewilderment.

"You heard me," Jem retorted mischievously.

Scarlett looked at Jem in shock. How could he possibly have figured it out? She wasn't blatantly obvious about it in high school. She didn't even tell Lacey and Rachel about her crush on him until the summer after they graduated.

And then it clicked. She couldn't remember the night that they'd met up for drinks at the bar. One moment she was downing shots of Jameson's and the next thing she was waking up in her bed in the morning. Everything in between was fuzzy and completely blank. Sometime that night, she must've drunkenly confessed to her crush on him in high school.

Nervously, she swallowed. "Y-yeah, I did," she said. If she admitted to it only being in high school, it would seem innocent.

"Do you - ."

"It was implied that it was only one question," Scarlett interjected.

"One more," Jem asked innocently.

"Fine," she snapped.

"Do you still have a crush on me?" he asked.

Scarlett thought she was going into cardiac arrest. He knew. He'd figured it. She knew she was being totally obvious. There was no way they could innocently hang out without Scarlett's feelings for him being completely obvious. She was stupid to think that he wouldn't figure it out. He wasn't the smartest kid in high school but Scarlett was stupid enough to think that he wouldn't figure it out.

"I…" she started but the rest of her words were caught in her throat as Jem closed the distance between her and him. Nervously, she felt herself back up into the fridge but Jem only moved closer. Their bodies were inches from one another and Scarlett felt her breathing hitch in her throat as Jem leaned towards her. She felt herself hold her breath the closer he got until his lips touched hers.

She wasn't quite sure what hit her at first and for a split second, she didn't kiss him back. But when she did, her lips molded right to his. His arms snaked around her waist and pulled her closer to him. She grew more comfortable in his arms and relaxed. She reached her arms up and wrapped them around his neck.

Before she knew it, Jem had pulled away from her. She swallowed nervously as her bright crystal blue eyes stared back into his tired blue grey ones. She had to be dreaming. There was no way they had just kissed. Maybe she passed out again from all the alcohol and this was a weird alcohol-induced dream.

"That wasn't the alcohol talking this time, was it?" Jem asked hopefully.

"I'm perfectly sober," Scarlett replied with a crooked smile.

Jem smiled back at her before leaning back in to crush his lips to hers once again.

* * *

Jem and Scarlett spent the rest of the night drinking the whiskey and vodka until the early hours of the morning. By that time, it was far too late for Jem to head back and Scarlett had offered to let him stay over again. However, this time around, she didn't offer up the couch. Instead, she asked if he wanted to spend the night in her room with her.

Jem had been hesitant. If it had been any other girl, Jem would've said yes in a heartbeat and then followed her upstairs to have wild, crazy sex. But not with Scarlett. There was something different about Scarlett that made him not want to have sex with her quite yet. She was different. She made him feel different. It was almost as if being around her made him a better person. Eventually, Jem had said yes and followed her up the stairs and to her bedroom, where they both collapsed on top of her king sized bed.

Jem had been adamant, however, as to how he should sleep next to her. Should he leave a decent amount of space between them? Or would that offend her? Was it okay to curl up next to her and pull her close to him? Or would that be taking their relationship too far already?

Jem had to stop himself at that point. They'd kissed in her kitchen but that was it. What did that make them? She'd practically admitted to still having a crush on him. Jem even had to admit that Doug was right about him. He had always had a thing for Scarlett. Deep down, it had always been there.

At some point during the night, Scarlett had made that decision for him as she rolled over and stretched an arm across his chest. She curled up against his side and rested her head against his shoulder, her blonde curls pooling around her head. Jem had stiffened at first, not sure if he should push her off of him or not, but he had eventually relaxed and wrapped an arm around her anyways. A couple minutes later, he was able to drift off to sleep with ease.

It was about ten o'clock the next morning when they woke up. They were both slightly hungover from the drinks they'd had the night before, but other than that, it wasn't so bad. Not when they were waking up in each other's arms. Scarlett had tilted her head so that she was facing Jem and she flashed a small smile at him. He reciprocated the gesture by smiling back at her before they both climbed out of bed and headed downstairs to find something to eat.

It was around noon when Jem headed back to his apartment. He knew that if he stayed any longer, his friends would start to worry. They knew Jem that could take care of himself if he was to ever get in trouble but that was the problem. Jem was a loose cannon so there was no telling who would come out worse for wear.

As Jem left, he hesitated and wondered if he should kiss Scarlett goodbye. He hesitated on the top step of her front steps before giving in and turning around to plant a kiss on her lips. When he pulled away from her, a bright red blush had crept up on her cheeks. Jem smirked at her before turning away and bounding down the steps to his car.

As Jem drove back to his apartment, he knew Doug would start bombarding him with questions. He figured Scarlett would get questioned by the friends she had abandoned at the bar as well, but being questioned by Doug was by far the worst. Doug shouldn't be the one to judge anyways since he left the bar last night with Krista. In essence, Jem should be the one questioning _him_.

When Jem reached his apartment, he parked his car and climbed out to head inside. As expected, Doug was sitting on the couch, absentmindedly flipping through the channels on the TV. Jem was surprised when Doug didn't outright acknowledge him. He headed into the kitchen to grab a water bottle from the fridge before joining Doug in the living room.

"Where the hell were you last night?" Doug finally asked after what felt like an eternity of silence.

"I was gonna ask you the same thing," Jem shot back.

"You know where I was," Doug said.

"Yeah, and you know I don't like it," Jem added.

"Since when do you care about your fucking sister anyways?" Doug snapped.

"She may be a whore but she's my fucking sister," Jem retorted.

Doug rolled his eyes. "You never answered my question."

"Why's it your fucking business anyways?"

"Why are you so defensive?"

"I was with someone, okay?" Jem shot back.

"Was that someone Scarlett?" Doug asked.

"If you knew, then why the fuck did you have to ask?" Jem snapped as he stood up from the arm chair he was seated in.

"I knew you always had a thing for her, but now I think it needs to stop," Doug said. Jem headed into the kitchen and shrugged off Doug's comment. What did he know anyways?

"So now it's a bad thing?" Jem asked.

"She's a nice girl," Doug said. "She doesn't need to get mixed up in this."

"She already is," Jem said. "I gave her some money from the last job."

"_You did what?_" Jem heard Doug scream. Jem turned around to see Doug sitting upright on the couch with his eyes wide with shock. "Are you fucking retarded or something?"

"She gave it back, dipshit," Jem snapped. "She's smart."

Doug shook his head in disbelief. "Jem, she's going to find out and then she's going to end whatever the two of you have."

"You don't think she doesn't have some sort of suspicion already. She's not dumb," Jem said.

Doug rolled his eyes at Jem. "If she does, I'm surprised she still has a thing for you."

Jem slammed his bottle of water down on the counter before stomping out of the apartment. The fact that Doug had the nerve to lecture him on involving Scarlett pissed him off beyond belief. He should talk anyways. Doug fucked Krista whenever he felt like it despite Jem's disapproval. Jem wasn't even screwing Scarlett and Doug was telling him to end it.

As Jem got back in his car and shoved the key in the ignition, he had no idea where he was going to go. He needed to get away from Doug but he couldn't quite go back to Scarlett's. He pulled out of the parking spot and drove away to clear his mind.

_The nerve of Doug!_ Jem thought repeatedly as he drove.

However, if only Jem knew, it was only the beginning.

* * *

**Doug should talk. He'll soon be dating Claire Keesey, the bank manager they took hostage. So yes Jem, why should he lecture you on dating Scarlett? You two are clearly meant for each other! haha.**

**As always, thank you for adding this to your favorites, signing up for alerts, and reviewing. Reviews are very much appreciated and they motivate me to write so please leave me a lovely review to let me know what you think!**


	7. Laughing Stock of Boston

**Hey everyone! I know I haven't updated this in like a week. When I'm trying to finish a story, I tend to put all of my others on the back burner. But, I have the next chapter here for you and it has some scenes from the movie (including my favorite for Jem/Jeremy Renner; like I don't know why I find it super sexy when he's beating the shit out of someone but I do bahahaha). I hope you like it! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Laughing Stock of Boston**

It had been a week since Scarlett had seen Jem, which meant that it had been a week since they kissed. She longed to see him and feel his lips on hers again. She didn't want to call him because she figured it seemed desperate.

Scarlett found herself thinking about Jem at work, too. She wondered what he was doing that kept him so preoccupied from seeing her. She wondered why he didn't call her to hang out with her. She wondered if he had grown tired of her so quickly. It really wouldn't surprise her though, but the thought actually hurt her feelings.

Scarlett had been so preoccupied with thinking about Jem that she hadn't even noticed Charlie waving his hand in front of her face one day.

"Scarlett, yoo hoo!" he said as he constantly waved his hand in front of her face to grab her attention. She finally noticed him and shook her head to pull herself out of her thoughts. "Wow, whatever you were thinking about must've been pretty intense," he said with a chuckle

"Sorry," Scarlett mumbled. "Umm, what's up?"

"A bunch of us were talking earlier this morning and we were thinking of going out for a late dinner tomorrow night," Charlie said. "I was wondering if you wanted to come."

Since it didn't seem like Jem was going to call her anytime soon to hang out – or even make-out – Scarlett figured why not? "Yeah, that would be great," she said enthusiastically. "Give us all some time to get to know each other."

Charlie nodded in agreement. "Yeah, yeah, so we were thinking of going to this nice seafood place that Lori knows. Is eight o'clock good for you?"

"Yeah, that's perfect. It gives me enough time to go home and change," Scarlett said.

"Okay, cool," Charlie said. "Just, umm, get the directions and info from Lori, I guess."

"Yeah, I'll be sure to do that," Scarlett said with a nod.

"Okay, umm, great!" Charlie said enthusiastically before awkwardly walking away from Scarlett's desk.

Scarlett shook her head as she watched Charlie walk off. Scarlett wasn't stupid. She could see it, clear as day, that Charlie had a little crush on her.

* * *

Eight o'clock sharp Scarlett arrived at the seafood restaurant her co-workers had agreed to meet up at for dinner. She parked her car on the curb a couple feet away from the restaurant and locked the doors to head into the restaurant. The moment she stepped through the door, she noticed Charlie seated at a table with some of their co-workers. Apparently not all of them had arrived yet. Charlie noticed her standing in the doorway and waved her over to the table. She flashed a smile to Charlie before heading across the restaurant to take a seat with her co-workers.

It didn't take long for the rest of her co-workers to show up. Within 10 minutes, they were all seated comfortably and ready to order. They ordered their drinks, along with a couple orders of calamari for an appetizer, before they ordered their meals. Not much later, their waitress brought them their drinks, along with their orders of calamari. They began to enjoy the libations and talk about mindless things that didn't involve work.

It was around 8:30 when Scarlett noticed someone familiar walk into the restaurant. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw them cross the restaurant and take a seat at a table in the corner. When she figured they weren't looking, Scarlett turned to get a better glimpse of Doug and his date. She wanted to go over there and ask what was going on with Jem, why he hadn't spoken to her in a week, but she knew that sounded incredibly creepy.

"Scarlett! Scarlett!" she heard her name get called. She shook her head and turned back to her co-workers. All eyes were trained on her and she felt herself flush a deep shade of red.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"It's alright," Scarlett's co-worker, Lori, said. "So, tell us a little about yourself."

"Oh, umm, well, I went to Harvard Law School and when I graduated, I got a job in the rough part of Philly, and now, I'm back home," Scarlett said.

"Oh yeah, that's right! You're from Boston," Lori said enthusiastically. "What part of Boston?"

Scarlett swallowed nervously. What were they going to think of her when she told them that she was originally from Charlestown? She had escaped Charlestown to go to college, but Charlestown would always be a part of her. She may not exactly live in Charlestown now, but she still felt like she was still there.

"I, umm, I live in East Cambridge now," she started hesitantly. "I rent a townhouse from Chelsea, who's not here tonight, but…I'm originally from Charlestown."

Scarlett noticed some of her co-workers' jaws drop and there were a couple whistles. "Wow," Lori said as she rested her chin in one of her hands. "What's it like? We get a lot of cases from Charlestown but you never really know what it's actually like."

"Oh, umm, it's not bad, to tell you the truth," Scarlett said. "I was always the good girl who stayed in, did her homework, and studied. I never really did much."

"Oh, don't lie," another one of Scarlett's co-workers, Richard, whined. "We know Charlestown is the laughing stock of Boston."

Scarlett tilted her head to the side and crinkled her brow. "Are you saying I'm lying about my high school lifestyle, Richard?"

"Oh, no, no, no, dear," Richard said. "I'm just merely saying that most of the people from Charlestown are deadbeats. You can't be telling me that it's not that bad."

"It's not," Scarlett snapped. "Yeah, some of the people from there make bad choices but they're not bad people."

"Right, and that Coughlin kid didn't _really_ want to kill that guy. It was just a misunderstanding," another one of Scarlett's co-workers, Cheryl, scoffed sarcastically. Everyone except Scarlett and Charlie laughed. Charlie looked hopelessly confused and Scarlett looked like she was about to punch someone.

"Excuse me?" she said through clenched teeth.

Her co-workers grew silent as they stared at Scarlett. Her fists were clenched as they rest on top of the table on either side of her forgotten plate of calamari.

"Look, don't try to defend the people of Charlestown," Cheryl said. "They're all fucked up."

"Thanks Cheryl, so I guess that means I'm fucked up too since I'm from Charlestown," Scarlett said, her natural Boston-accent starting to slip back in. She had lost it over the years from being away from Boston for so long but when she got angry, it slipped back into her speech without her consent.

"You know what, I'm not quite hungry anymore," Scarlett said as she stood up and chucked her napkin onto the table. She grabbed her purse, which was hanging off the back of her chair, and took a step away from the table before turning around to face her co-workers once again. "Oh, and go fuck yourselves," she said in her thick Boston-accent.

As she stomped out, she briefly caught Doug's eye. It was only for a second but there was so much said in the silent exchange. She wanted Doug to know what had happened over there and she wanted him to tell Jem too. And speaking of Jem, she wanted Doug to tell him that she was pissed off at him for not talking to her.

As she whipped open the door to the restaurant and released herself from Doug's gaze, she just hoped he got the message.

* * *

Jem rounded the corner as he headed up the sidewalk to the bar to meet Doug. His shades were shielding his eyes from the early afternoon sun and his hands were shoved into the pockets of his track jacket. He turned into the bar and was immediately greeted by Pete, the bartender. He nodded back to him before turning to his left to sit with Doug at the tables in the corner. With a sigh, Jem plopped down in the seat opposite Doug and slid his shades off of his face, chucking them onto the table.

"So what's going on?" Doug asked, keeping his eyes on the TV hanging on the wall across the room.

Jem fidgeted in his seat. He touched the back of his head before glancing out the window. "You check on that thing? The license?"

Doug glanced over at him for a second before turning his attention back to the TV. "Yeah."

"And?" Jem questioned.

"Nothing," Doug said. "It's a dead end. We're all set."

"So no need to remove her from the equation?" Jem asked.

Doug furrowed his brow in confusion as he turned to Jem. "What?"

"You heard me," Jem shot back.

"What are you, a triggerman now?"

"Just loose ends, kid," Jem said, nodding his head.

Doug scoffed. "You're gonna get the fucking electric chair brought back over to Charlestown."

"Don't be so goddamned panicked, all right Dig Dug?" Jem interrupted. "Just, you know, I don't want to get backdoored, that's all."

"We're fine. All right?" Doug said firmly.

"All right. We're fine," Jem agreed.

"Okay," Doug said, in hopes that it would end this conversation.

"We're fine," Jem agreed again as he turned to sit properly in his chair and shoved his hands into his jacket pockets.

Jem and Doug sat in silence at the bar, watching the latest recaps for games from the night before. The Sox lost their game brutally, losing 10-1, while the Yankees won against the Phillies five to two. Fucking Yankees. They couldn't wait until they came to Boston and the Sox whooped their ass.

"I saw Scarlett a couple nights ago," Doug said suddenly.

Jem turned to look at him before turning his attention back to the TV. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," Doug said in agreement. "She seemed pissed."

"About what?"

"She was with a bunch of people and about halfway through their dinner she just got up, cussed at them, and left," Doug said.

Jem nearly smiled. His girl was feisty. Wait, no, they weren't even official. She wasn't his girl. Plus, they hadn't talked in over a week. God, he was so confused.

"Her Boston accent slipped back in too," Doug added.

"I was wondering where it went," Jem mused.

They dropped the conversation as they stared at the TV and watched more of the recaps. Why Jem hadn't talked to Scarlett in over a week, he didn't know. He wasn't necessarily obeying Doug's order to not talk to her because Jem Coughlin did not take orders. He just wasn't sure where he and Scarlett went from here.

"You know, maybe it's not such a bad thing for you and Scarlett to…be a thing, I guess," Doug said, interrupting the silence between them.

"Oh yeah?" Jem said. "And why's that?"

Doug shrugged his shoulders. "You seem different when you talk about her."

"Well, I'm still the same person," Jem shot back.

"Just…if you want to, go ahead," Doug said.

Jem found it awfully suspicious that Doug had all of a sudden changed his mind about him and Scarlett. There had to be a reason that Doug wanted him with Scarlett all of a sudden and Jem was going to find out why. But first, to talk to Scarlett.

* * *

Jem was home alone later, watching TV when Doug walked in. Jem had been dragging his feet to call Scarlett because he didn't quite know what to say to her. He hadn't spoken to her in over a week and she probably thought he didn't like her anymore. It sounded so high school, but after all the time they'd spent together and then ultimately ended up making out, he figured that she thought he grew tired with her. And that was not the case.

Jem looked up from the TV when Doug walked into the room. It wasn't like Jem had been watching anything of interest anyways.

"I need your help," Doug said. "I can't tell you what it is. You can never ask me about it later, and we're gonna hurt some people."

Jem pondered Doug's proposal for a second before asking, "Whose car we gonna take?"

* * *

It wasn't much later when Jem and Doug were pulling up outside of an apartment building just down the road from theirs. They climbed out of the car and headed to the trunk to grab their supplies. Jem slammed the trunk of his car shut as he followed Doug across the street to the apartment building.

They stopped outside of an apartment and pulled on their hockey masks. Doug nodded to him and Jem shielded the peephole with his weapon. Doug knocked on the door and there was a response from the apartment's inhabitants. Doug shouted back at them to open the door as he raised his sledgehammer in defense. The door opened just a bit and Doug busted the door open. He rushed in and Jem followed as they began to beat the men senseless.

"Oh shit, that hurts huh? Is that your throwing hand?" Doug asked. He stood up to tower over the men on the floor. "If you're still here in a week, we're coming back."

Doug turned and picked up his sledgehammer from the floor. "Let's go. We're done." He started to head towards the door, but Jem wasn't finished. He took a step towards the man Doug had been beating, poking him in the face with his weapon.

"Hey," Jem said as he tapped him with his weapon. "What'd you do?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," the man answered weakly as he rolled onto his back, cradling his left arm against his chest.

"That's my brother right there. What'd you do to get him so cranked up?" Jem asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the man repeated.

"You don't know?" Jem asked as he reached behind him and grabbed his gun out of the back of his pants. "How about now?" he asked as he pointed the gun at the guy's forehead.

"Hey, chill, chill, chill, man. Chill. Chill, man," the man pleaded.

"Hey, don't fucking tell me to chill!" Jem snapped.

"That's enough! Let's go!" Jem heard Doug shout from behind him but Jem ignored him.

"What'd you do?" Jem shouted.

"I don't know what the fuck you're talking about!"

"No?" Jem said as he pulled the gun away from the guy's head and aimed it at his leg. He fired two shots and the guy screamed out in pain.

"There goes college soccer," Jem taunted. "Hey, look at me," Jem said as he pulled his hockey mask from his face. "See my face? Go tell the cops, all right? But just remember, I seen yours too."

Jem stood up and walked out of the room as he heard the guy cuss from behind him. He could hear Doug's footsteps behind him but he didn't look back as he headed back to the car. They shoved the hockey masks and their weapons into the trunk before silently sliding into the car. Jem turned on the engine and cruised out of the parking spot with ease to head down the road.

They sat in silence, not sure of what to say to one another. Jem wasn't quite sure what that was all about, but he would find out soon enough. But as soon as they got back to the apartment, Jem wasn't going to stay long. He needed to see Scarlett and he needed to see her now.

"I can't be up there killing people, man," Doug said suddenly, breaking the silence.

"Hey, you brought me," Jem replied wearily.

* * *

When Jem dropped Doug off at the apartment, he immediately headed to Scarlett's townhouse in East Cambridge. It had been a while since he'd seen her. If you counted over a week as a while. He wasn't quite sure if she'd be happy to see him, or pissed. He hadn't talked to her in over a week and the last time he saw her, he had made out with her. You don't leave a girl hanging like that, so he wouldn't be surprised if she decided to give him a nice slap across the face.

He locked his car and headed up the sidewalk to Scarlett's townhouse. The front light wasn't on to illuminate the steps, but he could see a light on in one of the second story windows. He climbed the stairs and reached out to ring the doorbell. His index finger hovered over the button until he just went for it and pressed it.

Jem awkwardly stood on the front steps as he waited for Scarlett to answer the door. He knew it was late. Anybody would question their doorbell being rung late at night. That or she fell asleep with the light on and didn't hear the doorbell. Jem was nearly about to give up and head back down the steps when he heard the _click_ of the door unlocking. Seconds later, the door swung open to reveal Scarlett in a pair of black yoga shorts and an old Maroon 5 tour t-shirt. In her hand, which she was trying to hide behind her, was a baseball bat. Jem arched an eyebrow at the baseball bat and Scarlett tried to hide it behind her even more.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly. "Just coming prepared."

"You sure it's not because I was at the door?" Jem asked. "I haven't talked to you in over a week."

"Has it been over a week?" Scarlett asked sarcastically as she rested one of her hands on her hip and smirked at him.

"Don't be so snarky," Jem shot back. "I came to apologize."

"Wow, Jem Coughlin apologizing," she said sarcastically, the smirk still plastered on her face.

"Look, I'm sorry I didn't call in the past week or anything. Things were crazy," Jem said.

"You're forgiven," she said. "You're lucky my job keeps me so busy."

Jem chuckled. "I guess that's what you were working on upstairs," he said. Scarlett arched an eyebrow at him. "I saw your light was on."

"Oh, right," she said.

"So, umm, I'll just be going. That's all I wanted to say. I'll let you get back to your stuff for work," Jem said nervously. He turned to head back down the steps when he heard her interrupt him.

"You don't have to go, you know," she said. He turned back around to see her standing sheepishly in the doorway. "It's late and I'm kind of bored with my case for work anyways."

Jem nervously shoved his hands into his track pants pockets. "Umm, yeah, okay. If that's cool with you."

Scarlett nodded before stepping aside to let him inside the house. He heard her close the door behind him and he could see her prop the baseball bat against the wall before folding her arms across her chest. It was at that moment Jem figured she wasn't wearing a bra and she was most likely self-conscious that Jem was around while she wasn't wearing one.

"So, umm, I saw Doug the other night," Scarlett said, trying to make conversation as she headed into the living room. She flipped on the light and headed to the couch to sit down. She was tucking her legs underneath her just as Jem took a seat on the couch.

"Oh yeah?" he said. "Where'd you see him?"

"Umm, at a seafood restaurant by Harvard University," Scarlett said as she furrowed her brow to try to remember where exactly it had been.

"Yeah? What was he doing there? Just passing by?" Jem asked.

"He was with some girl," Scarlett said.

"Probably my fucking sister," Jem growled.

Scarlett shook her head. "Unless Krista's dyed her hair within the past couple weeks since I saw her at the bar, this chick wasn't her."

Jem tilted his head to the side in confusion. "What'd she look like?"

"Hmm, kind of tall, long, dark hair," Scarlett said. "I only saw her from across the restaurant."

Jem bit the inside of his lip as he wondered who Doug could have possibly been with. It wasn't like Doug to not tell him this sort of stuff. They were best friends, practically brothers for Christ's sake!

"Aww, is Jem jealous that Dougie has a girlfriend and he doesn't?" Scarlett teased sarcastically.

"No," Jem retaliated suddenly. "I've got something to ask you anyways."

Jem saw Scarlett tense up before cast her gaze down to her lap. Jem could see a faint blush creeping up her cheeks. "Okay, what?" she asked.

Jem had to admit he was nervous about what he was going to ask her. He'd never been in this position before, mostly because he'd never felt this way about a girl before. "Do you wanna go out?"

Scarlett's head snapped up and she glanced at him in confusion. "Now?"

"Like…on a…" Jem trailed off. He cleared his throat before continuing. "Like…like on a…date?"

Jem saw Scarlett flush a deep shade of red before glancing down at her lap again. It wasn't long until he saw a smile spread across her face. She raised her head and looked into Jem's blue-grey eyes with her own crystal blue ones. "Okay, but you have to plan it all out and don't be late picking me up."

Jem could've sworn he was grinning from ear-to-ear.

* * *

**Oh boy, Jem Coughlin asking Scarlett McAuley out on a date? That man is head over heels! And it looks like Scarlett spilled the beans to Jem about Doug and Claire. Uh oh! I hope you guys liked this and I want to thank you for the continuous feedback! Keep it coming!**

**As always, thank you for adding this to your favorites, signing up for alerts, and reviewing. Reviews are very much appreciated and they motivate me to write so please leave me a lovely review to let me know what you think!**


	8. First Date

**Hey everyone! I have the next chapter here for you. Jem and Scarlett are going on a date and Jem pulls out all the stops. What does he do? Read and you'll see! Enjoy!**

* * *

**First Date**

Scarlett quickly put her earrings in her ears, accidentally poking herself in the finger as she did so. When her earring were in place, she pulled her hands away to look at herself in the mirror. Her blonde hair was curled, cascading down her shoulders and back in loose waves. She wore a small amount of make-up but just enough for someone to notice. She wore a dark blue, curve-hugging dress she had bought earlier in the day. Scarlett smiled to herself in the mirror, mostly because she was excited for what was to come.

Tonight was the night she and Jem were going on a date. They weren't going to a bar to get drunk off their asses, but they were going on an actual date. She didn't want Jem to tell her his plans because she wanted it to be a surprise, but she assumed they'd be going out to dinner. She knew she was probably overdressed too. Jem wouldn't be one to get all dressed up for her so she wouldn't be surprised if he showed up in one of his signature track suits, but this date gave her an excuse to go shopping. If she was overdressed, so be it. She just hoped Jem liked what she was wearing.

She heard the doorbell ring and she froze instantly. Appearance wise, Scarlett was ready. Mentally wise, she wasn't. This was going to be nothing like the other times when they'd go to the bar and drink themselves senseless. They were actually going to have conversations and get to know each other and maybe even make-out a little more. She knew she sounded like a girl in high school but that's what she felt like. Jem was her high school crush, so why not act like a giddy, lovesick girl in high school?

She quickly shoved her mascara, eyeliner, and lip gloss into her clutch before shoving the rest of her make-up back into their bag. She chucked the bag back into the cabinet under the sink before flicking off the light to head down the stairs. Her heels clicked against the hardwood floors as she made her way downstairs to the front door. She hesitated at the door, quickly fluffing up her hair, before opening it to reveal Jem standing on her front steps.

Surprisingly, Jem wasn't wearing one of his signature track suits but a pair of jeans and a t-shirt underneath a leather jacket. Still, she hadn't expected much from him. However, she did notice his jaw drop the moment she opened the door. He was currently looking her up and down, his eyes roaming over every curve on her body.

"Wow," he finally said.

"Wow, yourself," Scarlett shot back. She placed a hand on her hip to taunt Jem. Sometimes she was confident around him. Sometimes she wasn't. This was one of those instances where she was and she was going to milk it for all its worth.

Jem shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. He cleared his throat, balling up his fist and placing it in front of his mouth to cough. "So, umm, ready to go?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said as she pulled her house key out of her clutch and stepped out onto the front steps, closing the door behind her. She quickly locked the door before turning to Jem. Nervously, Jem grunted, as if he was going to say something, but he just headed down the steps and Scarlett followed.

He was parked a couple feet away from her house, so they reached his car in no time. He politely opened the passenger side door for her and Scarlett smiled to herself as she flushed a deep shade of red. She watched him run around the front of the car before sliding into the driver's seat next to her. He shoved the keys into the ignition and turned the car on before pulling out of the parking spot with ease to head down the road.

They sat in silence for a couple minutes, neither one of them not really knowing what to say. Scarlett was nervously picking at her cuticles while Jem kept his eyes focused on the road. Finally, Scarlett grew uncomfortable with the silence and shifted in her seat to turn towards Jem.

"So, where are you taking me?" she asked playfully.

"No," he answered firmly, his eyes still focused on the road. "You told me to plan it and make it a surprise and it's going to stay that way."

"Please," she begged as she jutted out her lower lip in a pout.

"Nope," Jem said as he stood his ground. Scarlett turned to face forward in her seat again but out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a smirk on Jem's face. He definitely had something nice planned. Why else would he be smirking like that?

They spent the rest of the car ride in silence, the awkward tension practically palpable in the air. Jem turned onto a bridge that would take them to the other side of Boston and Scarlett wondered if Jem even liked this part of Boston. A couple more turns brought them to the harbor on the edge of the Charles. He parked his car on the curb before cutting the ignition and climbing out of the car.

"We're here?" Scarlett asked bewildered.

"Yeah," Jem said before shut his door. Scarlett gathered up her belongings and was just about to open the door when Jem did it for her. With a smile, she climbed out of the car and stepped aside to let Jem close the door. Jem beckoned for her to follow him as he headed down the steps towards the harbor.

When they reached the docks, Jem started to crane his neck as he focused on the sterns of the boats. Scarlett nervously fell behind as she watched Jem search the boats for the one he was looking for. He finally found what he was looking for and beckoned for Scarlett to join him. She nervously walked down the rest of the dock until she came across the boat – or more like the yacht – Jem was standing next to.

"Jem, how can you even…" she trailed off, unable to find words to describe what she was feeling.

"Don't worry about it," Jem said. "I just know someone."

"You're not like stealing this boat or anything, are you?" she blurted out.

"What? No!" he protested.

"Sorry, sorry," she apologized quickly. "I just find it hard to believe that you did this for me."

Jem stepped onto the boat and then held his hand out to her. "Trust me."

Scarlett stared at his hand before grasping it lightly. Jem helped her step onto the boat and then he led her to the upper deck where a small table with intricate china and glassware was. In the center of the table was a small bouquet of red roses. Scarlett gasped at the sight before turning to Jem who had a smirk plastered across his face like he was proud of himself.

"Jem, I don't even want to know how much this cost you," Scarlett gasped.

"I just know someone. They did a favor for me," Jem said as he lightly grabbed her hand and led her across the deck. He held the chair out for her to sit down and he pushed it in for her when she was seated. He quickly walked to the other side of the table to take his seat across from her just as one of the yacht's staff made an appearance to bring out some champagne for them. He poured a small amount into each of their flutes before walking off to get them some food.

Scarlett grabbed her flute of champagne and took a sip before returning it to its spot back on the table. "You know, pizza and a movie would have sufficed," she joked.

Jem chuckled. "I pull out all the stops for you because you deserve it."

Scarlett could feel the blush creeping up on her cheeks again. She never expected Jem Coughlin to be such a softie. She had to figure it was only around her. There was no way she would tell anyone and that's probably what Jem was thinking. So why not be a softie with her?

But even though Jem had just admitted to doing this just for her, Scarlett couldn't help but think if he's done stuff like this for other girls. Not just notorious for being Charlestown's resident bad boy, he's also known for practically womanizing every girl in Boston. For a second, Scarlett felt special but her own self-esteem issues got the best of her. So, unfortunately, she had to ruin the nice moment by asking him.

"Jem?" she asked uneasily, not able to meet his gaze. She couldn't even imagine how he might feel after she asked him this. "You don't do this for all of the girls, do you?"

She nervously bit her lip as she anticipated his answer. He had been the one to ask her out on the date but that didn't mean a thing. Anytime he took a girl out, he could do something similar each time. What made Scarlett so different?

"What girls?" Jem asked, the confusion in his voice clear.

Scarlett shrugged her shoulders. "There's gotta be other girls," she said, still not meeting his gaze.

"Do you think I would go through this trouble for every single girl I ever went out with?" Jem asked. "Mostly, I just take girls to the bar and she has to pay for her drinks."

Scarlett let out a nervous giggle. She lifted her head so that her crystal blue eyes met Jem's. "So you really did do this just for me?"

Jem nodded slowly. "Do you think I'd get caught dead here with some trashy whore from Charlestown?"

"No, I guess not," Scarlett said.

"Because let's face it, you may be from Charlestown but you're not a trashy whore," Jem said. "Except for maybe in that dress," he added, nodding towards her.

Scarlett glanced down at her dress before looking back up at Jem, who had a playful smirk across his face. "Hey!" she protested. "I am not a trashy whore in this dress."

"Whatever you say sweetheart," Jem said jokingly.

Scarlett knew she couldn't hide the smile that spread across her face.

* * *

It was well after dinner when the yacht took off from the harbor and stationed itself in the middle of the Charles. Scarlett and Jem had retired to one of the cushioned benches outlining the deck of the yacht to cuddle up and look at the stars. Since the sun had set, the temperature had dropped significantly and Scarlett realized she had forgotten to bring a jacket. Fortunately, Jem came prepared as he pulled out a blanket to wrap around them.

They sat in silence as they gazed up at the stars. Scarlett's head was resting on Jem's shoulder while his arm was wrapped around her back. At one point, Scarlett had kicked off her heels and draped her legs over Jem's lap. In response, he wrapped the blanket around them even more to keep her legs warm.

It wasn't long until Jem started thinking about some things. One thing in particular was the night Doug saw her at the restaurant. Doug had mentioned that she got really angry with the people she was with before storming out of the restaurant. That definitely wasn't the Scarlett he knew from high school and he was curious to know what got her so fired up. He kind of liked the thought of her being feisty so he wanted to know what exactly got her all cranked up.

"Hey, so, that night you saw Doug at that restaurant…" he trailed off as he turned to her.

"Mhmmm," she hummed in response.

"He said you were really pissed off at the people you were with," Jem said. "What'd they say that pissed you off so much?"

He felt Scarlett tense up in his arms. He could tell it was a sore subject just by the way she reacted.

"You know what, forget I asked," Jem added innocently.

"Oh no, it's okay, umm…" she trailed off, not quite sure how to tell him that she got pissed off about her co-workers taking jabs at him. "My co-workers were just talking shit about the people of Charlestown and I was fed up with it."

"Doug said your Boston accent slipped back in," Jem said curiously.

Scarlett giggled. "It happens when I get mad. I can't control it."

"I was wondering where it went," Jem stated.

She shrugged her shoulders. "It happens. You're around people who don't have the accent and you start to pick up how they speak. But like I said, when I get mad, it comes back and I can't control it."

"It's cute," Jem said, turning to Scarlett just in time to see a faint blush creep up on her cheeks. "You must really love Charlestown to get so mad about it when your co-workers bash on it."

"Well…" she trailed off. It wasn't completely a lie that that was what pissed her off. It was true that her co-workers didn't know a thing about the residents of Charlestown. She was from Charlestown and she was nothing like everyone else. She had managed to escape and do well for herself whereas some people hadn't and were still stuck in the lifestyle they grew up in.

"Yeah?" he asked, waiting for her to continue.

"They kind of…took a swing at you, too," Scarlett said nervously, casting her eyes downward. That was what she took to be the last straw during that dinner. They didn't know Jem. Yes, he probably still had a violent side, but he never showed it around her. They didn't know a thing about Jem Coughlin.

"And that's why you left?" Jem asked and Scarlett nodded slowly in response. Jem let this information sink it and before he knew it, he was chuckling. "You're pretty protective, sweetheart."

"I _am_ from Charlestown," Scarlett said playfully. "It comes naturally."

"Yeah," Jem agreed as he looked into her crystal blue eyes. "Yeah it does."

They held each other's gazes before Jem leaned in and crushed his lips to hers. Even though she could see it coming, she was surprised when Jem's lips connected with hers. She was tense for a split second before wrapping her arms around his neck. Jem leaned closer into her and before she knew it, she was lying on her back on the bench as Jem cupped the side of her face.

She liked the feel of his lips on hers and she liked that he wasn't feeling her up. Most guys Scarlett had dated in the past felt her up like crazy. She never liked it but she went with it because that's what guys did. The fact that Jem Coughlin, Charlestown's resident bad boy, wasn't doing that to her, surprised her.

"Mr. Coughlin." Jem groaned as he pulled away from Scarlett to see one of the yacht's staff standing at the top of the steps.

"Yeah?" Jem growled.

"We're going to starting heading back to the harbor. It's almost midnight," the man from the yacht's staff said.

"Whatever," Jem growled as he turned back to Scarlett. She was biting her lower lip as she tried her hardest to not laugh. Jem just chuckled heartily. He leaned down and kissed her again as the wind around them stirred and the ground beneath them moved as the yacht headed back to the harbor.

* * *

**Oh Jem, you big softie! More scenes from the movie will be coming up. Also, it seems like the time frame during the movie is kind of close together, but I'm going to spread this out over a couple months so I can build up the relationship between Jem and Scarlett. Finally, it seems like a lot of you don't want Jem to die. Trust me, I don't like that he dies in the movie either, but this fic is called _Born To Die_. It's mostly named after the song by Lana Del Rey, but I still feel like I have to stick to what happens in the movie. If any of you have any ideas as to how I can change the ending, inbox me. I really don't want Jem to die either, but I can't figure out any other way! Fanfiction writer problems, dammit!**

**Anyways, as always, thank you for adding this to your favorites, signing up for alerts, and reviewing. Reviews are very much appreciated and they motivate me to write so please leave me a lovely review to let me know what you think!**


	9. Barbeque

**Hey everyone! I've got the next chapter here for you that I hope you'll like. The first part takes place the morning after Jem and Scarlett's first date while the second part is sort of part of the movie. Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

**Barbeque**

When Jem awoke the next morning, he was lying underneath the covers in Scarlett's king-sized bed at her townhouse in East Cambridge. He was still in his clothes from the night before so he breathed a sigh of relief that he didn't screw things up with her yet. For some reason, Jem wanted to do things right with her. He didn't want to sleep with her yet. There was something about her that made him want to do things traditionally with her.

Jem brought his hand up and rubbed his eyes before turning his head to see Scarlett curled up next to him. Her hand was resting against his chest and her head rested against his shoulder. He had an arm wrapped around her back as she slept peacefully next to him. He knew there had to be something creepy about him just lying there and watching her sleep, but she looked so peaceful and he didn't want to ruin that.

It wasn't until about 20 minutes later when Scarlett stirred and rolled onto her back, pinning Jem's arm underneath her. She let out a sigh before raising her hand to rub the sleep from her eyes. Finally, she squirmed uncomfortably, allowing Jem to pry his arm out from underneath her. Unfortunately, that jostled her awake.

"Oh hey, sorry," she mumbled sleepily.

"It's alright," Jem said with a light chuckle.

Scarlett stretched her arms above her head, moaning with pleasure as she stretched her muscles. Jem couldn't help but stare as she arched her back, causing her breasts to protrude further from her chest. When he realized what he was doing, he quickly looked away, embarrassed by what he had done.

When she was finished stretching, she rolled over and curled up next to Jem again. "Last night was fun," she said.

"Well, I'm glad you had fun," Jem mumbled.

"You okay?" Scarlett asked as she pushed away from him and rolled to the other side of the bed. She swung her legs over the edge and her feet touched the cold hardwood floor.

"Yeah," Jem said with a shrug of his shoulders. He turned to see Scarlett rummaging through her dresser drawers. She pulled out a plain white t-shirt, a pair of underwear, and a bra before padding across the room to her closet. She yanked a pair of jeans off of their hanger before turning to Jem.

"I'm just going to change into something else," she said as she pointed to the adjoining bathroom. Jem nodded in understanding and she disappeared into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

He could hear her banging around in the bathroom as she changed from one ensemble to the other. At one point, he heard a loud bang followed by a string of whispered curse words coming from Scarlett's mouth. Finally, there was the sound of rushing water as Scarlett no doubt turned on the sink but it quickly ceased.

Jem glanced over at the door when he heard it creak open. For some reason, he expected her to come out half naked but there she stood with her white t-shirt and grey skinny jeans. Her face was free of all make-up and her curls from last night had lost their volume.

"So, umm, do you maybe want to go downstairs for some coffee?" Scarlett asked nervously as she leaned against the doorframe.

Jem stared at her for a couple seconds before swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. "Umm, yeah, sure."

"Okay," Scarlett whispered before heading to her bedroom door. Jem followed her as they headed out of her bedroom and downstairs to the kitchen. Silently, they made their way into the kitchen. Jem took a seat at one of the chairs at the island in the middle of the kitchen as Scarlett searched through her cabinets for some coffee. She pulled out a bag of Starbucks coffee grinds and some coffee filters, and set up the coffee maker.

Just as Scarlett was finishing up, Jem's phone buzzed in his pocket and he quickly reached into his pocket for it. He pulled it out and saw Doug's name flashing across the screen. He hesitated to answer it. He knew Doug was checking up on him, making sure he hadn't done anything stupid. But Jem answered it anyways because he knew Doug would keep calling if he didn't.

"What?" Jem growled into the phone when he answered it.

"What the fuck's your problem?" Doug asked from the other end.

"I just got up," Jem said.

"Whatever," Doug said. "We're thinking of having a barbeque tomorrow so can you swing by the beer warehouse and pick up some stuff?"

"Yeah, fine," Jem said.

"What's up your ass?" Doug asked.

"_You_, mother dearest. Stop checking up on me!" Jem snarled.

"Are you at Scarlett's?" Doug asked, instantly interested.

"It's none of your business," Jem shot back.

"You are, aren't you?" Doug asked slyly.

"Do you want your fucking booze or not?" Jem asked, irritated. Doug was silent on the other end. "That's what I thought."

"Why are you such an asshole when we talk about her?" Doug asked.

"Because it's none of your business," Jem said through clenched teeth. "I'll see you later. I've got to go." Jem disconnected the call and shoved his phone back into his pocket just as Scarlett slid a mug of coffee across the counter to him.

"Well aren't you just a ball of sunshine in the morning," she said sarcastically. She rested her elbows on the countertop across from Jem as she took a sip of her coffee.

"Just Doug being an ass," Jem said as he lifted his mug to his lips and took a sip of the hot brew.

"You guys used to be so close," Scarlett mused. "What happened?"

Jem shrugged his shoulders. "Going to prison might have something to do with it. We just grew apart in those nine years."

"I doubt that," Scarlett said as she shook her head in disagreement. "I would bet he came to visit you _at least_ once a week."

"Try once every four months," Jem shot back with a blank expression.

Scarlett felt her jaw drop but she closed her mouth the moment it fell open. "Sorry Jem," she apologized as she dropped her gaze.

"It's okay," Jem mumbled. "Like I said, prison made us grow apart. We've been like this ever since."

"Sorry," Scarlett mumbled apologetically.

"Don't apologize. It's not your fault," Jem said as he shook his head.

An eerie silence fell between the two of them as they finished off their mugs of coffee. When Scarlett finished her coffee, she gestured to the coffee pot as if to silently ask if Jem wanted more. He shook his head no but Scarlett filled her own mug up.

"So, you planning a follow-up date Jem Coughlin?" Scarlett asked nonchalantly as she turned around to face Jem.

"I, umm, uh…" Jem stuttered. Scarlett bit her lip to stifle the laugh she could feel bubbling up in her throat. The look on Jem's face was priceless because he clearly hadn't thought about a second date. Not that Scarlett cared but she thought she'd just watch him squirm.

"Yeah, actually," Jem finally said after composing himself. "It's not a date really but…" he trailed off. He dropped his head before reaching behind him to nervously rub the back of his neck. "When Dougie called, he said we're having a barbeque tomorrow so I figured maybe you'd want to come?"

Jem raised his head to see Scarlett staring back at him in shock. She was holding her mug of coffee in one hand and holding the tip of the spoon in her mug between her thumb and forefinger of her other hand.

"Y-you mean like…like with Doug and the rest of your friends and your family?" Scarlett asked nervously.

"My parents are dead so it'll probably just be Krista, if she even fucking shows up," Jem said.

"Right," Scarlett stated. "Umm, are you sure you want to invite me?"

Jem could tell she was nervous. She'd never hung out with him and his group of friends. It had always been just the two of them. But Jem knew Scarlett could handle it. If it became too overwhelming for her, she could always stick with him. He wouldn't let anyone intimidate her or harass her at his own barbeque.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Jem said positively.

Scarlett took a deep breath before diverting her gaze away from Jem. She fiddled with the spoon in her mug before looking back at Jem. "And you definitely want me there?" she asked nervously.

"Yes, Scarlett," Jem said.

Scarlett nervously bit her lip before taking another deep breath. "Okay," she said finally. "Okay."

"Okay? Okay, as in, you'll come?" Jem asked for clarification.

"Yeah, I'll come," Scarlett said as she nodded her head.

Jem could tell that she was nervous and the barbeque wasn't even until tomorrow. Quietly, he slid off of the chair and made his way around the island to her. Without even hesitating, he crushed his lips to hers, catching her off guard. As usual, she tensed for a split second before relaxing to his touch. She reached behind her and set her mug of coffee on the counter so she could wrap her arms around Jem's neck.

Yes, she was nervous about going to a barbeque with Jem's friends and family. Yes, Jem felt the same way too. She would be meeting the closest people he had to family and he wanted them to like her and she wanted her to like them. But there was the problem of what they did and what they still do. He didn't want Dez or Gloansy or someone to let it slip that they robbed banks for a living because that's what they liked to do.

So as Jem left Scarlett's townhouse later that day, he couldn't help but have a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach.

* * *

When Scarlett climbed out of her car the next day outside of Jem's apartment building, she felt the butterflies start to flutter in her stomach. She could hear the chatter of the barbeque guests floating towards her as she made her way around the building. Before she rounded the corner, she pulled a compact mirror out of her purse to check her hair and make-up. When she figured everything was in the right place, she shoved the mirror back into her purse. She took a deep breath and marched around the corner.

It was only a small gathering. That much was for sure. She noticed Jem's sister, Krista, first. She was seated at a picnic table with a small child in her lap whom Scarlett could only assume was her daughter. Situated far away from Krista was Doug, who was manning the grill. Every so often, Scarlett noticed Krista's eyes flit over to Doug but Doug didn't seem to notice.

Suddenly, Scarlett noticed Jem as he jumped up and joined one of his friends over by the window to pull a bottle of Jameson's out. Scarlett nearly smiled to herself at the sight of Jem and he was the reason why her legs carried her forward to join the barbeque. It was almost as if Jem could sense her presence as she started walking towards the small group for his head snapped up and he smiled at her. She couldn't contain the smile that had spread across her face as he smiled back.

"Hey, you made it," Jem said when she reached him.

"Yeah," Scarlett said. Even though she knew Jem already had a bottle of Jameson's, she had brought one too. She didn't want to come empty handed. She reached into her purse, where the bottle just barely fit, and she pulled it out to present it to Jem. "I didn't really want to come empty handed so I brought this."

"Cool," Jem said as he nodded in approval. He set the bottle down on the picnic table just as Gloansy came up and nearly tackled Jem from behind.

"So, is this Scarlett?" Gloansy asked.

"Yeah," Jem said. "Scarlett, this is Gloansy. Gloansy, Scarlett."

Scarlett held her hand out for Gloansy to shake and he grasped her hand firmly to shake it. "Nice to meet you, Gloansy," Scarlett said with a smile.

"Ditto," Gloansy said before lightly shoving Jem and walking over to grab a burger from the grill.

Jem rolled his eyes at Gloansy before turning his attention back to Scarlett. "You want anything to drink or to eat?" he asked.

"I'm good for now," Scarlett said as she shifted from one foot to the other.

"Oh hey, sorry, you want to sit down?" Jem asked nervously, stepping aside to let her sit down on the picnic table bench. Scarlett bit her lip as she stepped past Jem and took a seat on the edge of the bench. Jem pulled a plastic lawn chair next to her and sat down.

Jem had opened his mouth to say something when Krista interrupted him from the other side of the picnic table. "Wait, you're Scarlett McAuley?" Krista asked with one of her eyebrows arched.

"Yeah," Scarlett said as she nodded.

"Weren't you, like, really nerdy in high school?" Krista asked.

"Krista, shut the fuck up," Jem growled.

"No, it's fine, Jem," Scarlett said as she reached out and touched his arm. "And yeah, that would be me," Scarlett said when she turned back to Krista.

"Shit," Krista cussed as she adjusted her daughter's position on her lap. "You cleaned up good."

Scarlett smiled. That was the nicest compliment she'd ever received from Krista Coughlin, mostly because that had been the only compliment she'd ever received from her. "Thanks," Scarlett said.

The barbeque wore on into the late afternoon-early evening hours. For the first hour, Jem hovered around Scarlett until he figured she'd grown comfortable with his friends. After that, he'd started to mingle with his friends as well, leaving Scarlett on her own. He knew it seemed like a real asshole thing to do, but she was doing so well that he figured she'd be fine.

By the end of the barbeque, Scarlett was chatting with Krista while Shyne, Krista's daughter, sat on Scarlett's lap. Shyne was playing with a lock of Scarlett's blonde hair while Scarlett and Krista animatedly chatted with one another. It wasn't until Jem and Doug started to clean up did they even notice the scene between the two women. For a split second, they admired the scene in front of them before returning to clean up the mess to the best of their abilities.

When everything was cleaned up, Scarlett passed Shyne back to Krista and both women stood up from the picnic table. Krista said goodbye to Scarlett before turning on her heel and heading into the apartment building. As she walked away, Shyne reached over Krista's shoulder and waved goodbye to Scarlett. With a smile, Scarlett waved back at the small child.

"She's a cute kid," Scarlett muttered when she felt Jem's presence beside her.

"Yeah, she is," Jem said wearily.

Silently, Scarlett gathered up her things and slowly started to head to her car with Jem by her side. She pulled her car keys out of the front pocket of her bag when they reached her car and she turned back to Jem.

"So, your friends aren't that bad," Scarlett said matter-of-factly.

"And you were so scared," Jem said sarcastically.

Scarlett laughed as she dropped her gaze to the ground. "Yeah," she agreed. "What was I scared of?"

"A first date and meeting my friends all in the same weekend is pretty intimidating," Jem said.

Scarlett nodded. "Yeah, but this weekend was great," she said. She stared into Jem's blue-grey eyes as she felt a bit of sadness wash over her. "Jem, you're going to call, right? You're not going to wait around for over a week to talk to me, are you?"

"No," he said as he shook his head. "No, I'll call you, text you. I'll fucking picture message you if you want me to."

Scarlett giggled at his ridiculous statement. "Just…I thought you'd moved on for that week and a half. I thought you'd grown bored of me already."

Jem shook his head. "Bored of _you_?" he asked sarcastically. "I couldn't." Scarlett felt a smile spread across her face just as Jem leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. She knew he would keep his promise, but she still didn't know the next time she would see him. So she savored this kiss for as long as it lasted.

When he pulled away from her, she didn't quite want it to end but he didn't pull too far away from her. "Careful driving home, sweetheart," he muttered to her. "Fucking townies come out of nowhere."

Scarlett nodded before turning away from Jem and climbing into her car. She turned on the ignition before glancing out at the window at Jem. She mustered up a feeble wave before pulling out of her parking spot and heading home.

As she headed down the road, she noticed a black car parked directly across the street from Jem's apartment building. She remembered seeing it when she had arrived hours ago. It was odd because there were two guys seated in the car. Out of the corner of her eye so as not to draw attention to herself, she glanced at the two men. She could see that both of them had their eyes on her but as she drove past them, she hoped they wouldn't follow her.

She continued down the road to head home when the thought occurred to her. Those men had been positioned in that spot before Scarlett had got there and stayed there well after the barbeque had ended. And based on the position of the car and its view of Jem's apartment building, she would bet that Jem was being watched.

* * *

**Uh oh, think Scarlett's getting a little suspicious? The police and the FBI certainly are.**

**As always, thank you for adding this to your favorites, signing up for alerts, and reviewing. Reviews are very much appreciated and they motivate me to write so please leave me a lovely review to let me know what you think!**


	10. Official

**Hey everyone! I have the next chapter here for you. I hope you like it! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Official**

Every second of every minute, Scarlett worried for Jem's well-being. And to tell the truth, she wasn't concerned for just Jem. She worried about Doug and Krista and Krista's daughter. Scarlett was almost certain that the men in that black car the day of the barbeque were watching Jem and his friends and family.

Even though she knew she should've told him, Scarlett never voiced her concerns for Jem. There was a possibility she could be wrong. But what were the odds of that car having been there all day from when she arrived to when she left? And the men had a clear view of the barbeque. The odds were uncanny, which is why Scarlett didn't believe it to be a coincidence.

Jem kept his promise to call or text Scarlett. She received at least one text message from him in the morning, telling her good morning and that he would call her when she got off from work later in the day. The message would always put a smile on her face and she was almost always in a good mood at work. The only problem was that she could never wait to get off of work because she was always anticipating a phone call from Jem.

It was sometime during that work week following the barbeque that Scarlett squeezed in plans with Rachel and Lacey. Since Rachel had been promoted at her job, Lacey had also been working longer shifts at the hospital while Scarlett had been spending time with Jem. They hardly had time to hang out. So on a Wednesday afternoon when all of their lunch breaks were scheduled for the same time, they met up at a nice café over by Boston University.

When they met up, they got a table for three and a waiter immediately greeted them and took their drink orders. He was back within minutes, and by then, the three women were ready to order. When they had all ordered their lunches, they handed their menus to the waiter, who sauntered off to put in their order.

It wasn't long until the three women started to talk like they usually did. They hadn't seen each other in weeks and yet, they picked up where they left off. Lacey had been getting more shifts at the hospital, practically working 72 hours at a time and never leaving the hospital. Today was an exception. Rachel had been working overtime at the museum since she got promoted. Her manager had told her that if she kept up the good work, she could get another promotion, along with a handsome raise.

As for Scarlett, she knew there wasn't much to tell. The case she had been assigned to was rather boring. It wasn't anything special, just a case from Charlestown about some poor sap of a drug addict who was trying to get her kids back. As much as Natasha didn't want to defend this woman, she had to. And Scarlett knew she was going to lose anyways. Her first case at her new job wasn't going to go well for her.

"And Jem?" Lacey questioned.

Scarlett sighed. She knew this had to be coming eventually. "Yeah, we've been hanging out," Scarlett said nonchalantly.

"Aren't you two official yet?" Rachel whined.

Scarlett rolled her eyes, but deep down, she started to question that herself. She and Jem had gone on dates. Scarlett met his friends and family. He texted and called her every day. Did that make them an official couple or not?

Scarlett shrugged and before she could even say anything, their waiter delivered their food to them. She knew Rachel and Lacey wouldn't drop the conversation. It just wasn't their style. But Scarlett knew she was in the clear until they finished their lunch.

They ate their lunch in silence, occasionally commenting on how good their dish was to each other. About halfway through their meal, their waiter waltzed over to ask how their meals were and they answered positively. They finished their meals in silence and Scarlett knew Rachel or Lacey was going to ask about Jem again. She knew it would be coming. As the lunch flew by, however, neither one of them asked.

The waiter sauntered over to the table and asked the three women if they wanted any dessert. All three of them politely denied it and asked for the check. The waiter walked away from the table only to reappear moments later with the bill for their lunch. The three women thanked their waiter before examining the bill so they could split it between them.

When the bill was paid and the women had gathered up their belongings, they headed down the sidewalk to where they had parked their cars. As they headed down the sidewalk, they talked about minor things, such as the Cambridge Merchants bank robbery, which was still under investigation, and the latest Sox game.

When they reached Scarlett's car, they all paused on the sidewalk. Scarlett thought this was going to be a quick goodbye. Jem hadn't come up in conversation for the remainder of their lunch so she was pretty sure they weren't going to ask her about him again. But boy was she wrong. Rachel and Lacey were never ones to leave things be.

"So, seriously, aren't you and Jem official yet?" Rachel asked.

Scarlett pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger as she sighed. "Oh my God," she whined.

"Look, Scar," Lacey said. "There's definitely something between the two of you."

"Well, yeah," Scarlett said, the emphasis of the "duh" behind her statement completely blatant.

Lacey tilted her head to the side as she stared at Scarlett in bewilderment. "There's something you're not telling us."

"What?" Scarlett asked.

"Tell us!" Rachel interjected.

"We went on a date and I met his family and friends," Scarlett blurted out. The words had tumbled from her lips before she'd even realized what she was doing. The shock on Lacey's and Rachel's faces was undeniable.

"What? I want all the details!" Rachel exclaimed.

"No," Scarlett said. "We don't have time. I have to get back to the firm."

Rachel jutted out her lower lip in a pout and Lacey smacked her arm as if to scold her. In response, Scarlett rolled her eyes. "Call me later if you're free and I'll fill you in," Scarlett said.

"Fine," Rachel said icily. "I'm calling you no matter what. Even if I get off of work at ten, I'm calling you and I'm getting all of the details."

Lacey tugged on Rachel's arm as she began to lead her down the sidewalk to their calls. "Go back to work, Scarlett," Lacey said. "But seriously, we want details. However, I can wait." Lacey gently elbowed Rachel in the ribs and Rachel scowled at her friend.

"Thanks," Scarlett mumbled. "I'll talk to you guys soon." Scarlett saw Rachel and Lacey nod in understanding before she turned to her car to climb in. She sighed as she watched Rachel and Lacey head down the sidewalk before ducking into their respective cars.

Lacey was right. There was definitely something between them but why they hadn't acknowledged it yet, they weren't quite sure. Yes, they'd gone out on a date and he invited her to meet his friends and family. And of course they made out a lot but not once did they actually say if they were officially dating.

Suddenly, Scarlett needed to know the answer. Unfortunately, she needed to return to work. She wasn't one to play hooky. With a sigh, she shoved her keys into the ignition and turned the car on. Glancing over her shoulder, she pulled out of her parking spot and headed back to work with the looming question as to what she and Jem were to each other.

* * *

The moment the clock struck five o'clock, Scarlett was out of her seat at her desk and rushing to the front door of the law firm. She'd had everything packed up so that the moment it struck five o'clock, she could leave. Unfortunately, she didn't quite expect to be stopped by Charlie on her way out.

"Hey, umm, Scarlett," Charlie said nervously as he intercepted her path to the front door.

"Hey, Charlie. Look, I'm kind of in a hurry if you don't mind," Scarlett said politely.

"I'll be quick. I promise," he said. Scarlett nodded her head silently and Charlie smiled in response. "So, umm, I was wondering if you maybe wanted to go out to dinner again?"

"Oh yeah, that sounds great," Scarlett said quickly. "Just email me the details." Scarlett stepped forward to head out the door but Charlie quickly stepped in front of her. Scarlett sighed out of discontent and Charlie shot her an apologetic look.

"Actually, I was just wondering if you wanted to go out to dinner…you know, like, just…the two of us," Charlie choked out nervously.

Scarlett felt her heart stop, and not in a good way. Charlie was a sweet guy. She knew he had a crush on her but unfortunately, the feeling wasn't mutual.

"Oh Charlie, that's very sweet but - ."

"Oh, it's okay," Charlie brushed it off, even though she could tell he was hurt.

"We can go as friends. Maybe we can get lunch together during our lunch break one day but I just…" Scarlett trailed off, unsure of the right words to say.

"Lunch would be cool," Charlie said as he composed himself. "I can do lunch."

"It's not a date, Charlie," Scarlett said. She tried to say it as calmly as possible. She didn't want to hurt his feelings even more than they already were.

"Oh yeah, I know," he said with a nod of his head. "But yeah, lunch would be great."

"Okay," Scarlett said with a smile. "And I'm really sorry but I've got to go."

"Oh yeah, yeah, sorry," Charlie said as he stepped aside to let her through. Scarlett brushed past him before pausing at the door to toss a goodbye at him over her shoulder. He bid her goodbye as well and with that, Scarlett was out the door and jogging to her car. She quickly unlocked her car and tossed her bag into the backseat before climbing into the driver's seat. She jammed her key into the ignition and turned the car on. Quickly putting the car in reverse, she flew out of her parking spot and out of the parking lot as she headed down the road towards Charlestown.

As she sped down the road towards Charlestown, she mulled over her conversation with Charlie in her head. Charlie was a decent guy but she just didn't see him in that way. He was already a good friend anyways and she didn't want to ruin that. If they started a relationship and it ended badly, she could lose that friendship with him as well. Besides, Scarlett had to sort things out with Jem.

That's when her train of thought stopped right there. That's why she had rejected Charlie. She knew that for sure. She wanted to be with Jem but whether he wanted to be with her was a mystery. They'd never made things official but that's what she was going to find out.

Before she knew it, she was pulling into the parking lot of Jem's apartment building. With a deep breath, she turned off her car and climbed out. She shut the door behind her and it eerily echoed throughout the silent community. Her heart started to race as her legs carried her forward towards Jem's apartment building. She didn't know what to say to him when he answered the door, or _if_ he answered the door. There wasn't even a guarantee that he was home! It would be ten times worse if Doug or Krista answered the door because she wasn't quite prepared to come up with an excuse if one of them answered the door.

She climbed the small set of steps to the apartment building before hanging a left to head to Jem's apartment. When she reached the door to his apartment, she took another deep breath before starting to absentmindedly pace outside the door. She wasn't quite sure what to say to him. How did you even start a conversation such as the one she wanted to have with him?

Building up enough courage, she figured she would just wing it. She reached out and balled up her fist to rap her knuckles on the door three times in a row. She stepped back and, nervously, she began to pick at her cuticles. She bit her lip as she listened attentively for any sign of movement on the other side of the door. After what felt like an eternity, Scarlett took a step down the hall. Of course he wasn't home. She should've called her first. She was so stupid.

As she took another step down the hall, she heard the door open, followed by her name being called. She stopped dead in her tracks. She hesitated to turn around but she spun around anyways to see Jem poking his head out in the hallway.

"Hey," she said with a weak wave of her hand.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Jem asked. "I mean, it's cool to see you but it's a little short notice."

"You're busy," Scarlett stated. "I knew I should've called first. I'll just go."

"No," Jem said as she took another step down the hall. She froze in her spot before slowly turning around. Jem had completely stepped out into the hall, his one hand resting on the doorframe to his apartment. "It's okay. Don't go."

Scarlett could see the pleading in his eyes as he said it. He really didn't want her to go.

"Something wrong?" he asked, furrowing his brow in confusion.

Scarlett shrugged as she took a step forward, casting her gaze downward. "Just…my stupid friends got me thinking about something today."

"Oh," was all he said.

She knew that he thought she was ending things with him, which was strange because there's nothing to end in the first place. She didn't want to give him the wrong idea, which is why she decided that she had to blatantly ask him.

"Jem, a-are we…dating?" she asked nervously, her gaze still trained on the floor. She kept her gaze focused on the ugly brown carpet for a couple seconds before lifting her head to let her eyes meet Jem's. Surprisingly, he had a smirk plastered across his face and Scarlett nearly cracked a smile when she saw it.

"It seems really high school that I'm asking you if we're official or anything," Scarlett said as she shook her head. "My friends just got me wondering and I wanted to ask you myself."

Jem was silent, the smirk still plastered across his face.

"I got asked out on a date today by a co-worker and I couldn't do it because I didn't know what we were to one another," Scarlett said. Immediately, she saw the smirk disappear from Jem's face. "I told him no, Jem," she said quickly. "I promise. Don't do anything drastic over it."

Jem shook his head but otherwise, he didn't say anything. Nervously, Scarlett bit her lip. She was afraid that he wouldn't like her anymore now that someone else had asked her out, even though she had told him no. "A-are you going to say anything?" she asked.

Jem stared her down, his tired blue-grey eyes boring into her crystal blue ones. She started to nervously pick at her cuticles again. She'd definitely screwed things up between them. She should've never mentioned being asked out by Charlie.

Suddenly, Jem took a small step towards her, his eyes never losing contact with hers. Her breathing hitched in her throat nervously. "You shot down this guy because of me?" he asked. Scarlett was so nervous that he had taken a step towards her that she was completely speechless. In response, she just nodded her head.

"And you came here because you wanted to know what I think?" he asked as he took another step closer to her. Instinctively, Scarlett took a nervous step backwards as she swallowed and nodded her head again.

"Tell me, sweetheart," Jem drawled as he stopped right in front of her, his breath nearly against hers. "What exactly do _you_ want?"

She had every intention of getting his opinion on this but never did she expect to get questioned on her own opinion. Of course she wanted to officially date Jem. Since she'd started getting to know him, it's all she wanted but she was nervous to tell him that. She didn't always have confidence around him and right now, she didn't feel especially confident while he was standing right in front of her, intimidating the hell out of her.

She swallowed nervously again. "W-well," she started. "I don't really want to tell you. I don't want you to not feel the same way and then I look like an idiot." Jem arched an eyebrow at her and she swallowed nervously again. "But…if you want to know the truth," she started before pausing to take a deep breath. "Yes, I want to date you because I really like you. It's not just a high school crush anymore because you treat me incredibly well. Much better than some guys I've dated.

"And I'm really sorry if you don't feel the same way," she continued. "I know we were having a good time and maybe that's all you were looking for, but I want us to be official if you want that too. But if not, then we can go our separate ways - ."

"Stop talking, sweetheart," Jem interrupted. "You're starting to bore me." With that, Jem stepped forward to grab her by the waist and pull her close to him. His lips lingered in front of hers for a second before he crush his lips to hers. She felt his arms wrap around her waist and her arms snaked around his neck.

"So, wait, are we official or is this a goodbye kiss?" Scarlett asked nervously when she pulled away from Jem.

"It's official, sweetheart," Jem growled. "Now stop talking and fucking kiss me."

Scarlett couldn't help but giggle as she leaned back in and softly pressed her lips to her boyfriend's.

* * *

**Awww how sweet! So it's finally official. They're actually dating. But of course, I am known for craziness so stay tuned to see what I have up my sleeve.**

**As always, thank you for adding this to your favorites, signing up for alerts, and reviewing. Reviews are very much appreciated and they motivate me to write so please leave me a lovely review to let me know what you think!**


	11. Love and Other Drugs

**Hey everyone! I've got the next chapter here for you and it has some scenes from the movie included in it. I hope you like it. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Love and Other Drugs**

Things fell into place quite nicely for Jem and Scarlett. Jem would meet Scarlett at some nice café or restaurant during her lunch break so they could have lunch together and he would be waiting at her house like an excited puppy dog when she got home from work. He would spend his evenings at her house until it was time for her to go to sleep. In that case, out of respect of her and their relationship, he would return to his apartment to fall asleep alone in his spacious bed.

Scarlett spent a lot of time with Jem's friends and family, too. While he was at her townhouse during the week, she spent her time at his apartment with his family and friends on the weekend. Doug was always polite to her, and Dez and Gloansy always liked to bust on Jem about why Scarlett would ever want to date him when she could do so much better. Shyne was always beyond thrilled to see Scarlett and she could tell it was bothering Krista so Scarlett always made sure to play with Shyne only for a couple minutes while she was at Jem's apartment. The last thing she wanted was to get on Krista's bad side, which wasn't that hard of a feat.

Occasionally, Jem and Scarlett still went to the bar just for something to do. They were both restless and couldn't just stay in on a Saturday night. So, sometimes, they would head to the bar just for something to do. Scarlett would slip into some tight, curve-hugging dress – which was a departure from her office attire during the work week – and slap on some dark make-up before they headed out to the bar.

Typically when Jem or Scarlett would go to the bar separately, they would grab a table with whoever they were with. When it was just the two of them, they usually just sat at the counter. That way, it was quicker and easier to get a refill on their drinks.

When they went to the bar, Scarlett noticed something different in Jem's body language. She never noticed it when they went to the bar in the past, so it must've been something he developed when they started dating. She noticed that whenever some sleazy guy sidled up to the bar next to or near Scarlett, Jem grew incredibly tense. It was almost as if he was nervous this guy was going to hit on her or touch her.

These suspicions were confirmed one night when Jem and Scarlett headed to the bar on a Friday night. There was a Sox home game and the bar was jam packed. People were shoving their way to the bar so they could get drinks and sometimes they would lightly shove Scarlett out of the way to get through. Scarlett would just roll her eyes at their rudeness but out of the corner of her eye, she could practically see Jem's blood boiling. He was getting pissed.

It was the top of the sixth inning and the game was tied. The entire bar was on edge because they just wanted the Sox to get ahead. One run was all they needed to release the tension in the air and let the Sox gain the lead. Scarlett was watching the TV intently while she could feel Jem's blue-grey eyes focused on her. Or more like the guy next to her. She could feel that sleazy guy's eyes on her as well, but she wasn't going to acknowledge him. If she did, it could bode bad things for him. And as much as she didn't like being watched by some sleazy stranger, she didn't want to make a scene.

Scarlett kept her eyes focused on the TV but from her peripheral vision, she noticed the guy shift in his chair so that his body was facing hers. Nervously, she picked up her bottle of Guinness and took a long swig.

"So, sweetheart, you come here often?" the man slurred when she put her bottle back down on the counter.

Scarlett had to roll her eyes at that. "Oh, that's original," she scoffed, the irritation in her voice undeniable.

"Look," the man slurred again. "I've been watching you all night - ."

"I know," Scarlett interjected. "And it's fucking creepy."

"Well, I think you should let me buy you a drink."

"I've got a drink already, thank you very much," Scarlett spat.

"You need another," the man persisted.

"Nope, I think I'm done here," Scarlett said as she swiped her clutch that contained her cell phone and house keys off of the counter. She spun on the bar stool to face Jem. She flashed him a look that said she wanted to leave before anything got out of hand and Jem understood. He reached into his pocket to pull out a small wad of cash before pulling two twenties out and slapping them down on the counter.

Scarlett rose from her stool and Jem followed. Breezing past the sleazy man, she kept from making eye contact with him. That's the last thing she wanted, but the sleazy man had one more trick up his sleeve. He just couldn't let it go.

With his big, meaty hand, he swung it backwards before promptly slapping Scarlett on the ass. She let out an audible gasp before letting her jaw drop in awe. She turned her head to the side to look at the sleazy man, who had a grin on his face that said that he was proud of himself. Scarlett took a deep breath and swung her own hand back before letting go to slap the man across the face.

Scarlett was pretty proud of herself and she was pretty proud of Jem. So, she turned on her heel and began to march out of the bar. It was the sound of a _thud_ and the gasp from the bar patrons that caused Scarlett to turn around. She found the sleazy man lying on the floor on his back with Jem's knee jammed in his throat. Jem had fistfuls of the man's shirt in both hands and a look in his eye that said he meant business.

"Don't touch her," Jem growled.

"Hey, Coughlin, it's a fucking Sox game. Chill," the man choked out.

"That's my girl over there," Jem snapped.

"You joking?" the man hissed. "Jem Coughlin doesn't date."

Jem jammed his knee deeper into the man's throat, causing the man to gasp for air. Scarlett stood rooted to her spot in the middle of the bar as she watched the scene unfold in front of her. As much as the sleazy guy deserved it, she couldn't let Jem do something like this. She felt her legs carry her forward and she laid a hand on Jem's shoulder.

"Jem, come on," she said. "He's learned his lesson. I'm tired and I want to go home."

Jem focused on the guy at his mercy for a couple seconds before standing up to join Scarlett.

"You're whipped, man," the guy choked out. Jem stared at the guy gasping for air on the floor and then swiftly kicked him in the ribs. The man howled in pain as he writhed on the floor. It was at that moment that Jem and Scarlett realized the bar was completely silent. They glanced around at the bar patrons, who were watching the scene with anticipation with what was going to happen next, the Sox game on the TV long forgotten.

"What the hell are you all looking at?" Jem snapped and the bar patrons and staff quickly returned to what they had been doing before Jem disrupted the peace. He glared at everyone to make sure they'd returned to what they'd been doing before he felt Scarlett start tugging on his arm. He let her pull him out of the bar and down the sidewalk. She kept going until they were a decent ways away from the bar. When they were, she stopped and turned to face him.

"Jem, you don't have to defend my honor or anything," Scarlett said.

"Yeah, well, he touched you and I didn't like it," Jem growled.

"It's okay for you not to like it," Scarlett said as she cupped the side of his face. "That doesn't mean it gives you the right to beat the shit out of him."

Jem rolled his eyes at her before turning his head away from her touch. But Scarlett wasn't having it. She grabbed his face and turned it back to face him. "Hey, look at me!" she growled. The look of shock on Jem's face was undeniable. "Do you _want_ to go back to Walpole?" she asked. "I'm pretty sure your sister doesn't want you to go back, or Doug."

Jem wasn't sure what he wanted. He knew that his temper and his actions would probably get the best of him one of these days and his ass would be back in Walpole for sure. But he couldn't get out of the lifestyle he was living. Robbing banks was a thrill. It was like a drug. He couldn't get enough of it.

"Do you think _I_ want to see you go back to Walpole?" Scarlett asked quietly.

That certainly caught Jem's attention. Things had changed between them in the past couple weeks since they started dating. They both felt it but they never really acknowledged it. Jem didn't know what it was and it was probably because he'd never felt it before.

"Well?" she asked.

"No," he muttered under his breath.

"What did you say?"

"I said no," he said a little louder this time.

"Right," she agreed. "So could you please, for fuck's sake, try to control yourself?"

Jem had never been ordered around like this. He'd taken orders from Doug and Fergie for jobs, but no one had ever told him how to live his life. He was almost offended by it. But as he stared into those crystal blue eyes of Scarlett's, it was what convinced him to nod his head that he understood her stipulation.

* * *

Jem knew he had to be on his best behavior for Scarlett. He didn't want to screw things up with her, nor did he want to land his sorry ass back in Walpole. But Doug's behavior had been awfully strange as of the past couple of weeks and Jem wanted to know what was going on. So, a couple days during the week while Scarlett was at work, Jem followed Doug whenever he would go out. Sometimes Doug would lose him in traffic and other times he thought he'd gotten caught. But Jem was good at this sort of stuff, so he kept following his best friend.

When Jem finally caught up with Doug one day, he found him meeting up with none other than Claire Keesey, the bank manager they'd taken hostage during the Cambridge Merchants job. The two of them looked very affectionate towards one another and Jem was not pleased. He couldn't believe his best friend was dating this woman. And on top of that, he couldn't believe Doug had lied to him! Remembering Scarlett, Jem backed off and let himself cool down. That was until he saw the two of them at the same restaurant he and Scarlett had been having lunch at one day during her lunch break.

Jem and Scarlett had been heading down the sidewalk back to where she'd parked her car when Jem noticed Doug's black truck parked on the side of the road. Jem noticed the dent on the passenger side door when he had accidentally backed into the truck; Doug had never gotten it fixed.

"Jem, what's wrong?" Jem heard Scarlett ask. He pried his eyes away from the black truck to see Scarlett standing on the sidewalk a couple feet ahead of him with a confused expression on her face.

"This is Doug's truck," Jem stated as he patted the passenger side door.

"How do you know?" she asked.

Jem glanced at the door and pointed to the dent in the metal. "I caused this dent," he stated. "Backed into his truck one day when I was pulling out and he's never fixed it."

"Oh," was all Scarlett said as she nodded her head.

"He's gotta be around here somewhere," Jem lied, knowing exactly where he was.

"Jem, leave him alone," Scarlett whined.

"He's my best friend. I gotta bust on him," Jem said. He took a step forward so that he was inches away from Scarlett. He softly pressed his lips to hers and he felt her kiss him back. "I'll stop by when you get off of work," he said huskily.

Scarlett nodded in understanding before leaning back into him again to quickly peck him on the lips. She gave him a small smile before heading off to her down to head back to work. Jem watched as she reached her car down the road. As conservative as her work attire was, he couldn't help but stare at her ass. The pencil skirts she wore always showed off her perfectly toned ass. He didn't move from his spot until he saw her get into her car and pull out of her parking spot to head back to work.

Jem rounded the corner and immediately spotted Doug at the same outdoor café he and Scarlett had just had lunch at. He was alone now, staring up at the sky as he watched at plane cut through the clear blue sky. Jem had to say something to him so he quietly crept up behind him and gently pressed his fist to the back of Doug's neck.

"Money, bitch," he said as he masked his voice. He saw Doug tense up before looking behind him to see Jem. Jem started to chuckle as he rounded the table to stand in front of Doug. "What the fuck you doing here, huh?" Jem asked as he took a seat in the chair opposite Doug.

"Nothing," Doug said nonchalantly.

"Nothing?" Jem asked. "What's this? Who're you here with, huh?"

"No one," Doug said defensively. "Let's get out of here." Doug started to get up from his seat nervously.

"You're telling me this is yours?" Jem asked as he picked up the slice of pizza on the plate in front of him.

"Yeah."

"Yeah? Fucking Hawaiian pizza?" He dropped the slice of pizza back onto the plate. "Sit down."

"Let's hit the road. I gotta go." Jem could see Doug squirming.

"Sit the fuck down. Just sit down," Jem ordered. Jem noticed Doug get extremely nervous as he stared off into the distance. From behind him, he could hear a pair of heel clacking against the sidewalk. He turned around to find Claire Keesey, the bank manager from Cambridge Merchants, standing next to the table.

"Hi," she said politely.

Jem rose from his chair. "Hi," he said as he grabbed her hand for a shake. "Hey."

"Claire," she said as she introduced herself. She nervously looked over at Doug before returning her attention back to Jem.

"I'm Jem," Jem said.

"Jim?" she asked for clarification.

"Jem. Jem. It's just Jem, yeah," Jem said before turning to Doug. "I'm a friend of this loser right here."

"Nice to meet you," Claire said with a nod.

Jem started to step away from the chair before gesturing towards it. "Sit down, sit down, relax, all right?"

They brushed past one another as they traded spots. Jem took the seat on the outside of the table while Claire returned to her seat. Out of the corner of his eye, Jem could see that Doug was adamant and nervous about this but he sat down anyways. Jem put a smug smile on his face before turning to Doug after he'd sat down.

"So I saw your fucking Avalanche parked around the corner, so…" Jem said.

"The Avalanche?" Claire asked.

"A truck," Doug said in confirmation.

"Fucking truck. His work truck right there," Jem said. "Dougie's quite the worker."

"Yeah," Doug said nervously.

"Have you two known each other a long time or…" Claire trailed off, allowing the two men to fill in the blanks.

"Since we were six," Jem said. "We're like brothers, right?" He felt Doug's eye on him as he shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "But he's never mentioned a word about you," Jem said to Claire. He saw her glance over at Doug with a look of confusion on her face before turning back to Jem. "The secrets with this one, you know, huh?" Jem said. He started to chuckle before turning to Doug and lightly shoving him in the shoulder.

When he turned back to Claire, she had a faint smile on her face. "Did you say your name with _Jim_ or _Jem_?" she asked curiously.

"It's Ji – Je – well it's both actually," he stammered. "Umm, teachers, when we were growing up, used to always say, 'Hey, you can have this one. He's a real gem.' So I guess it kind of stuck."

There was a two second awkward silence as they looked at one another. "Whatever. I don't know," Jem said as he shifted in his chair. "So what do you do for yourself there, Claire?"

"Oh I work at a bank. I'm a bank manager," she said.

"You're a bank manager? Sounds fun. What bank?" Jem asked.

"Cambridge Merchants. Just over there," she said as she pointed over her shoulder.

Jem nodded. "Cambridge Merchants. Wait, that's the one that just got robbed, isn't it?"

"It got robbed, yeah. It did, yeah," she said as she nodded her head. For a split second, she closed her eyes as if she was trying to block out the painful memories from that day.

"I read about that. It's crazy," Jem said as he lifted his hand to rest his chin in his palm. "So how it is that you two met?" he said as he gestured between the two of them.

"Umm…" Claire trailed off nervously. "We met at a Laundromat."

Jem chuckled. "Okay, love among the bleach, right? Hey, it happens more than you think." Jem and Claire both laughed but Doug was still acting like he had a stick up his ass. "Hey Claire, don't get too used to your life of leisure here," he said as he gestured among the restaurant. Then he pointed to Doug before continuing. "Dougie here, he's a real workaholic, you know. He's always taking his work home with him."

Jem glanced over at Doug and locked eyes with him. "Aren't you?" he asked and Doug slightly nodded in agreement. They stared at one another for a couple seconds. Jem hoped that Doug got the message and he was pretty sure he did. The way that he kept squirming uncomfortably was evident that he did.

"All right," Jem said as he rose from his chair. Doug did the same before clapping a hand behind his neck.

"All right, brother," Doug said. "Take care of yourself, all right. Be good." Doug patted him on the back as he rounded the table to head out of the restaurant.

"I'll see you at home," Jem said to Doug before turning to Claire. "Hey, it was nice meeting you," he said as he pointed a finger at Claire with a smirk on his face.

"You too," he heard her say before he started heading back down the sidewalk to his car. Jem knew that this was only the beginning because there was no way Doug would let this go.

* * *

Jem was sitting at the kitchen table, eating a sandwich, when he heard Doug burst through the door of the apartment. Jem felt his presence in the doorway to the kitchen, but he didn't look up from his food to acknowledge him.

"Who you following Jem? Me or her?" he demanded.

"I told you. I made the Avalanche," Jem lied as he shoved a piece of his sandwich into his mouth. He had seen Doug's truck. That was the truth but he had seen Doug and Claire together before that and he had been following them days prior to that.

Doug stared at him for a couple minutes before turning to leave. "Nothing to worry about. It's all under control."

"Oh so you're trying to get us jammed up?" Jem said as he grabbed a napkin and wiped his hands. "Is that it?"

"I'm trying to get you jammed up," Doug said sarcastically, turning back towards Jem.

"Tell me you got a move here, Dougie," Jem said as he tossed the napkin onto the table and rested his forearms on either side of his sandwich. "Because the only way I see it is you got sprung like a goddamn bear trap on some toonie pussy who happens to be the one goddamn person - ." He stopped as he slammed his fists onto the tabletop. "Fuck!" he cussed before rising from his seat. "The one person that can give us to the fucking feds!"

Doug stared at him in shock before taking a couple steps back into the kitchen. "Calm down, all right? Don't you think you need to be smart right now?"

Jem spit into the sink and then turned to Doug. "Smart?"

"Yeah."

"Let's start fucking all the witnesses, all right?" Jem asked sarcastically. "Right, yeah, I'm blowing the assistant manager. Am I smart now? Huh?" Doug stared at him before scoffing. "And no, I didn't tell the other guys only because they'd flip the fuck out!" Jem exclaimed as he took a couple steps towards Doug." Jem leaned up against the doorframe as he came inches from Doug. "And I want them fucking ready for the next thing."

The moment the words slipped from his mouth, he knew it was a mistake. He'd promised himself he'd be better for Scarlett but threatening Doug for another job seemed like the only way to go right now. But then again, Jem did need money. He needed that rush. He needed another job and he needed it now.

"I told you, the next fucking thing's not ready yet," Doug shot back.

Jem slammed his fist on the doorframe. "Then fucking make it ready," he snapped.

"I don't like the guards on the next thing, all right?" Doug said. "One kid is like fucking G.I. Joe. He wears his vest on the outside, tucks his pants into his fucking combat boots."

"The truck's fucking waist high!" Jem countered.

"We'll find another truck with a driver who's a fucking fat kid with his fucking shit untucked who don't think he's Special Forces," Doug shouted.

"Yeah?" Jem scoffed as he started to walk away from Doug. "All right, look, I know you're happy in Fuck City over there, but I waited nine years in Walpole for you, mother fucker. Just nine years, that's all. I'm done waiting."

They stared each other down from across the kitchen, the only sound coming from the apartment above them. Jem shrugged before shooting a nasty look at Doug.

"This is the last one," Doug said. "We're hitting pause after this." Jem looked down at the table. "We get pinched, remember whose idea this was, okay?" Doug snapped. Jem stared at Doug's retreating back as he headed out of the apartment. His hand grabbed the doorknob and he pulled open the door. "Be ready on Friday!" Doug shouted before walking out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him.

Jem stood behind the kitchen table, listening to Doug's footsteps disappear down the hall. He was very conflicted. He didn't want to screw things up with Scarlett and doing this job was definitely going to screw things up with her if she found out. But Jem needed a job. He needed it like he needed air to breath. It was like a drug to him.

And he just couldn't stop.

* * *

**Uh oh, we're getting towards the second job. Scarlett already has her suspicions but do you think she'll figure it out completely? Also, I'm returning to school in two days so updates for this will be sporadic. Usually I will update on the weekends and as the semester goes on, the updates will become less frequent but I applied for an internship with a state congresswoman and if I get it, updates won't be very frequent. If I don't get it (but I REALLY want it so I hope I do get the internship), I probably won't even have time for the weekend updates. So just be patient with me :). But feel free to message me about any of my stories or just to say hello. I do check the site every day.**

**As always, thank you for adding this to your favorites, signing up for alerts, and reviewing. Reviews are very much appreciated and they motivate me to write so please leave me a lovely review to let me know what you think!**


	12. The Calm Before The Storm

**Hey everyone! You ready for some romance and a little drama? Well you're in luck because this chapter is full of it. The feedback I've been receiving is very much appreciated so please keep it coming! Therefore, enjoy!**

* * *

**The Calm Before The Storm**

Jem found himself outside of Scarlett's townhouse the night before the next job. It was a humid night in the beginning of July and Jem could hear the hum of the central air conditioning systems kicking on in the silent night. Hesitantly, he climbed the steps to Scarlett's townhouse and took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. He heard the sound of feet across the hardwood floor before the door swung open to reveal Scarlett. She smiled when she saw Jem and he mustered up a weak smile in return.

"Hi," she said.

"Hey," he said as he stepped forward and pressed a kiss to her lips. She kissed him back with passion before Jem pulled away and brushed past her with his head bowed. He heard her shut the door before he felt her presence behind him. He was awkwardly standing in the middle of the hallway when he saw her approach him out of the corner of his eye. A couple seconds later, he felt Scarlett's lithe arms wrap around his neck. This caused Jem to lift his head and he found himself staring into Scarlett's crystal blue eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked as he felt one of her hands stroke his cheek.

"Nothing," Jem said as he shook his head. "Just got a lot on my mind."

Scarlett wanted to question him but she knew it was best to leave him alone. Instead, she slipped her hand into his and led him upstairs to her bedroom. The stairs creaked uncomfortably as they climbed to the second story. At the top of the stairs, the hall was dark except for the small amount of light coming from her bedroom at the end of the hall. They reached her bedroom and Scarlett pushed open the door to reveal the clutter of files and papers that were scattered around the room. Her hand disappeared from Jem's as she walked further into the room. Immediately she started to gather up her papers, piling them messily in the corner of the room by the closet.

"I wasn't quite expecting you to come this late," she said as she shoved a paper clipped report into a manila folder. She placed it on top of the messy pile before straightening up and turning back to Jem.

"Should've called first," Jem mumbled, casting his eyes downward. He'd been having difficulty looking her in the eye since the next job was looming on the horizon. He knew she wasn't stupid. She had probably made some sort of connection between the money he gave her from the last job and the robbery at Cambridge Merchants. But he still couldn't manage to look her in the eye because he felt like he'd disappointed her already by agreeing to this next job.

"Jem," he heard her call his name softly. He lifted his head to see her standing a couple inches in front of him, those crystal blue eyes boring into his. "You need some sleep," she said as reached up and cupped the side of his face. "You look tired."

Jem knew he needed sleep. He was going to need it what with the day he was going to have tomorrow, but at the same time, he just couldn't. He would be on edge until the adrenaline kicked in tomorrow, seconds before the robbery.

"Jem, come on," he heard Scarlett coax softly before gently tugging him towards the bed. He felt his legs carry him towards the bed until he reached it. He lowered himself down on the bed as Scarlett crawled towards the headboard, laying her head on a pillow. She patted the empty space next to her and Jem crawled across the bed to lie next to her.

The moment his head hit the pillow, Scarlett reached behind her and flicked off the lamp on the bedside table then turned back to Jem. It took some time for his eyes to adjust to the darkness but when they did, he noticed that Scarlett's eyes were still as bright a blue as they were during the daytime. Those eyes made him want to confess to her about the job tomorrow. He knew that if he didn't tell her, she would find out eventually or figure it out herself and it would come back to bite him in the ass with a vengeance.

But Scarlett was so innocent. She deserved to know, and yet, she didn't deserve to get involved in this. Unfortunately, she was already involved. She was dating him and he had given her money – which she had given back – from the last job so she could pay off her student loans.

So Jem decided to let it go. He wouldn't tell her, at least not now. They'd been dating for a couple weeks and there was no way their relationship would be able to handle that type of stress already. He would tell her when the time was right. That is, unless she didn't figure it out first.

"You're really out of it," Scarlett said with a faint smile. She rolled over onto her side so that her back was facing Jem. Almost as if he'd been doing it forever, he curled up behind her and pressed his chest against her back. He draped an arm over her waist and linked his fingers with hers.

"It's late," he lied with a shrug of his shoulders.

Scarlett snorted a laugh. "You're joking right?"

"Not really. I've got a long day tomorrow. I'm helping Doug and his road crew with some stuff," he lied through his teeth.

"I hope Doug's paying you because I don't come cheap," Scarlett joked.

Jem chuckled. "You don't. I'm still paying for that date on the yacht."

"Hey, that's your problem. You're the one who decided to do that," Scarlett shot back playfully. "Don't blame me for your personal debt."

"I do blame you because you're the one I did it for," Jem mumbled as he nuzzled her neck.

Moments like this with Jem were Scarlett's favorite. So many people knew him as this tough guy who killed someone when he was eighteen and spent nine years in prison for it. Aside from that night in the bar when that drunk guy got a little touchy-feely with her, Scarlett never saw the Jem Coughlin everyone else usually saw. The fact that he most likely only acted like this around her made her feel special for some stupid reason.

Scarlett shifted in Jem's arms, turning her head so that she could see him. "Then what are you doing for the rest of the weekend?" she asked.

"We might go to a casino Saturday night," Jem said. "And you should come. You can be my good luck charm."

"Hate to break it to you, but I'm not very lucky," she teased as Jem's lips stopped inches from hers.

"Sounds like bullshit to me," Jem whispered against her lips before closing the distance between them. Scarlett giggled against Jem's lips as she kissed him back. Her hand slid up his chest, glided over his neck, and then cupped the side of his face. Jem's arm that was slung over Scarlett's waist snaked around to the small of her back and pulled her closer to him. This caused Scarlett to press her chest up against Jem's as she hungrily kissed him back.

Unexpectedly, Jem's hand glided to the back of Scarlett's thigh and he hitched her leg over his hip. Scarlett gasped against Jem's lips and he chuckled mischievously to himself. Lightly he shoved her in the shoulder to push her onto her back and he climbed on top of her, still kissing her passionately.

Scarlett could tell where this was going and she wasn't quite sure if she was ready for it. She wanted Jem to keep going, but at the same time she wanted him to stop. Scarlett hadn't had sex since her second year of law school. And even then that experience was less than pleasant. She didn't want Jem to be disappointed in her. So as she felt Jem's hand slowly begin inching its way up her shirt, she tensed up and broke off the kiss.

"Wait, wait, Jem," she muttered hastily. She squirmed underneath him and he pulled away from her, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Sorry, but, umm…" she trailed off nervously. "I…I haven't…h-haven't had sex in almost…s-six years."

Scarlett swallowed nervously as she directed her gaze anywhere but in Jem's direction. She was just waiting for him to roll off of her and wallow in disappointment. Scarlett didn't even think she was good at sex anyways. Then again, all three guys she'd had sex with, the relationship had crashed and burned within a month of them doing the deed. And the guys were the ones who had broken it off with her. That didn't really help her confidence level when it came to sex.

"Okay, and?" Scarlett heard Jem question.

"I'm just pretty convinced I'm not good at it," she said, still not meeting his gaze. "I mean, the last three guys I had sex with, I was in relationships with. And not even a month after we had sex, the guy would end things with me. That's how it always went, so I just haven't had sex in six years."

"What are their names? I'll set them straight."

Scarlett couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled up in her throat. "No, Jem," she moaned as she turned her head to meet his gaze. "It's not a big deal."

"It _is_ a big deal," Jem emphasized. "There's no way you're not good at sex." Jem leaned down and pressed his lips to her before he started to trail kisses down her neck to her chest. "You're beautiful." His lips traveled down her chest and kissed just above her breasts before traveling down her body. "And you're gorgeous," he mumbled against her soft skin. Her t-shirt had ridden up on her body during their make-out session and Jem was currently rubbing the short stubble on his chin against the soft skin of her belly. The sensation nearly sent her over the edge.

"And," he continued, looking up from her stomach mischievously. "You're sexy as hell."

Scarlett felt another laugh build up in her throat and she couldn't contain it. "Stop," she said flirtatiously through giggles.

Jem chuckled and then crawled back up to Scarlett to passionately kiss her on the lips. She kissed him back with much force, slightly more confident this time around over what was going to proceed. Jem's hand slowly crept up her t-shirt but lingered lightly on her ribs. She smiled to herself through the kisses and Jem responded by biting her lower lip playfully. In response, Scarlett lifted her legs, wrapped them around Jem, and locked them around his back. Jem growled against her lips and Scarlett couldn't help but smirk against the kisses.

After a while, Scarlett shakily tugged at Jem's t-shirt, letting him know that she was ready for the next step. Jem growled as he hastily tugged her shirt over her head and he let her do the same to his. They resumed kissing as they clawed at each other's clothing. Seductively, Scarlett ran a hand down Jem's bare chest and he let out a moan of content.

As they continued to hungrily and passionately kiss one another, the rest of their clothing slowly came off one by one. When Scarlett was just in her bra and underwear and Jem was in his boxers, they slowly shed the final pieces of clothing as they continued to make out. As they rolled over on the bed and burrowed underneath the covers, all of their worries were forgotten as it was just the two them. Jem and Scarlett. Scarlett and Jem.

* * *

Jem shrugged on his sweatshirt and zipped it up before turning back around to admire Scarlett's peaceful sleeping form. The sheets were strategically wrapped around her body, tastefully revealing her bare back and one of her toned legs. He knew he had to get going but he couldn't help but stare at the beautiful girl sleeping contentedly in bed.

After a couple minutes, Scarlett squirmed in her sleep before letting out a sigh. Jem continued to stare at her sleeping form for a couple more minutes until he realized he didn't have anymore time to waste. He took a step forward towards the bed and kneeled on the edge of it. He lowered himself down before softly pressing his lips to the soft skin of her shoulder. She squirmed at his touch before opening her eyes and glancing over her shoulder at Jem. She smiled at him as she rolled onto her back and reached up to cup the side of his face.

"Go back to sleep. I've got to go," Jem whispered. "Sorry."

"You breaking up with me now?" she asked jokingly.

Jem chuckled. "No, it's just going to be a long day working with Doug and the crew so I've got to get going."

"Okay," Scarlett said as she smiled sleepily at him.

Jem smiled crookedly at her before leaning down and softly pressing his lips to hers. She kissed him back softly before he pulled away and backed off of the bed. He calmly ordered her to go back to sleep and she nodded in understanding, rolling onto her side with a sigh to drift back to sleep.

He wanted to get back into bed with her. He didn't want to leave her after the night they had together last night. He just wanted to stay in bed with her back pressed against his bare chest and his arm wrapped around her waist until she had to get out of bed to get ready for work. But sadly, he couldn't, and yet, he couldn't bring himself to move from his spot in the middle of her bedroom.

After what felt like an hour of letting his eyes roam up and down Scarlett's toned and curvaceous body, he turned and quietly made his way out the door. The hardwood floors creaked with every step he took to head downstairs and out of the quiet townhouse. Jem had just stepped on the top step when he heard Scarlett's soft voice call his name from the other end of the hall. He turned around to see Scarlett standing in the doorway to her bedroom with her blonde curls messily tousled and the white sheet from her bed carefully wrapped around her body. The sight of her nearly made Jem give in and return to bed with her but he kept his feet firmly planted on the top stair.

"Yeah?" he answered her, looking her up and down.

"If you'd like to stop by later, I'm going to be working late," she said as she tried to stifle a yawn. "But you can let yourself in. There's a spare key underneath the purple flower pot on the back porch. You just have to get back there through the alley."

Jem nodded in understanding as he watched Scarlett try to stifle another yawn. He knew he was going to be late, but he strode back down the hall and firmly planted a kiss on Scarlett's full, pink lips.

"No guarantees," Jem answered huskily as he rested his forehead against hers.

Scarlett nodded sleepily. "Mhmmm," she hummed. "I'm making you late. Sorry."

Jem shook his head. He glanced over Scarlett's shoulder to check the time on the clock on her bedside table. Jem was never one to be on time anyways, so why start now? "I've got a couple minutes to spare," Jem lied.

"Oh, well in that case…" she trailed off seductively as she let the white sheet fall to the floor. She smirked at him as his eyes widened at her bare body. Without so much as a word, he stepped forward and crushed his lips to hers. They stumbled back into the room as Jem kicked the door shut behind them.

* * *

They'd nearly been caught. They'd barely escaped. They had managed to nab thousands of dollars in cash but the fact that they'd almost been caught was a concern. They knew they had to act completely normal for the next couple of days so as not to draw attention to themselves. In the meantime, they had several pounds of coke and a nice big bag of weed to keep themselves occupied.

Jem knew, in the back of his mind, that this was a bad idea. But his instincts took over and snorted the line of coke and smoked the joint that Gloansy had given him. He'd been trying to be better for Scarlett and the job had practically ruined it. They'd almost gotten caught so why not continue to fuck everything up by doing drugs?

The night of the robbery, Scarlett called him once and that was it. He had ignored her call because he was hopped up on coke and answering the phone would give it away. He knew she wasn't being obsessive or clingy; it was just a habit that the both of them talked to each other at least once a day. But even then, Jem couldn't bring himself to call her back.

Jem felt guilty for not only doing drugs and robbing that truck, but for not answering any of Scarlett's messages or calls. He couldn't help but think back to what she had told him before they slept together that night. Guys had broken up with her after they'd slept with her and he knew that was what was probably going through her head now. But Jem was too conflicted with his guilt. He felt guilty that he wasn't answering any of her calls or messages, but he, too, felt guilty that he had robbed that truck when he'd promised himself he would be a better person for her.

He'd avoided Scarlett's calls and texts for the rest of that day. On Sunday, she didn't contact him at all. He knew she'd be pissed. He didn't doubt that. And he would apologize to her but he wasn't quite sure how he could without telling her he had robbed that truck. There was no way he'd be able to make up an excuse to cover up what he had actually done.

So he prepared for the shit storm that he knew would be coming from her. But what he wasn't prepared for was the shit storm that Monday had in store him and the guys.

* * *

**Uh oh, anyone remember what happens next in the movie? What do you think is going to happen between Jem and Scarlett? Do you think she'll find out?**

**As always, thank you for adding this to your favorites, signing up for alerts, and reviewing. Reviews are very much appreciated and they motivate me to write so please leave me a lovely review to let me know what you think!**


	13. When Shit Hits The Fan

**Hey everyone! The feedback you've been giving me is very appreciated so please keep it coming! I have the next chapter here for you. Enjoy!**

* * *

**When Shit Hits The Fan**

It was Monday morning and Jem sat on the couch in the living room of the apartment. Even though he knew that she was working, Jem stared at Scarlett's number in her phone and contemplated calling her. Since he had come down from his high, guilt had hit him square in the chest like a ton of bricks. Scarlett had opened up to him about her past sexual experiences and how she hadn't had sex in six years because of it. Basically, Jem had acted like one of those guys from her past and he felt like a dick. He hadn't intended for it to end up like this and all he wanted to do was apologize.

Jem's thoughts were cut short when he heard a knock at the door. His head snapped up and he glared at the door to the apartment. There was another knock, more impatient this time around, and Jem groaned as he stood up from the couch. He shuffled his way across the living room and yanked open the door to find a pair of police officers standing in the hallway.

"James Coughlin?" the one cop asked.

_Well, this is it_, Jem thought. _I'm going back to Walpole._

"Yeah?" Jem answered hesitantly. In response, the cop to Jem's left stepped forward and took Jem's wrist in his hand. He snapped a handcuff on his wrist and then forced Jem around to cuff his other wrist. Jem groaned as the cop who had cuffed him informed him that he was being arrested on suspicion of armed robbery and started to recite Jem's Miranda Rights.

The cops led him out of the apartment building and into the back of the cop car. They slammed the door and then slid into their respective front seats. The car started to crawl forward as they headed out of the parking lot. Jem glanced out the window and noticed the residents of his apartment building indiscreetly peeking out of their windows to witness Jem's arrest.

The cop car pulled out onto the road and headed to the precinct. Jem stared blankly out the window as the landscape whizzed by him. He knew he'd fucked up. They weren't careful during this last job. As far as Jem knew, he wasn't headed back to Walpole and he felt relieved. But what the rest of the day had in store for him, he wasn't quite sure. It wasn't too late to be sent back to Walpole.

The cop car turned into the parking lot of the precinct and the one cop put the car in park while the other climbed out to retrieve Jem from the backseat. The cop yanked Jem out of the backseat with much force and he stumbled out of the cop car. The cop slammed the door before he pulled Jem forward into the precinct.

Jem had been in here before when he'd been arrested for murder. There had been countless other times when he'd thought he'd see the insides of this precinct but he'd narrowly avoided it those times. He wasn't happy to be back but he wasn't sad or angry either. He just walked through the precinct with his head bowed and a blank expression on his face.

The cops immediately started protocol by confiscating any personal items on him and zipping them away in a plastic bag. They took his fingerprints and his mug shot before unlocking the cuffs and handing him a dime for his one phone call. Jem figured that the rest of the guys were somewhere in the precinct too so they weren't any use to call. Fergie and Rusty were out of the question too because they had been part of the plan as well. There was no point in calling Krista because she was probably high as a fucking kite already and she would only blow their cover anyways.

And then it suddenly clicked as to who he should call and he wasn't quite sure why he didn't think of her in the first place. His own damn girlfriend was a lawyer. She could get him out of this mess. Unfortunately, he would have to tell her everything but there was no way out of this. He'd been given the chance to make his one phone call and Scarlett was the only person he could call.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, he figured she'd be on her lunch break by now so he slid the dime into the slot and tried to rack his brain for her number. He nodded to himself when he figured it out and quickly punched in the numbers. Nervously drumming his fingers on the wall, he listened as the phone rang three times until Scarlett finally picked up.

"Hello?" she asked hesitantly, most likely due to the fact that she wasn't familiar with the number.

"Scar?" Jem asked. "It's me."

"Jem?" she asked.

"Yeah," Jem said. "I know you're mad at me. I know you're pissed but I need your help."

"The fuck, Jem! What the fuck!" Scarlett shouted into the phone, causing Jem to pull the receiver away from his ear. "You fucking shithead! Yeah I'm fucking pissed off at you! You decide to fuck me and then blow me off!?"

"I know, I know," Jem said calmly. "Please calm down. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."

"No, I'm not going to calm down!" Scarlett shrieked. "I opened up to you. I trusted you and you just decide to fuck me and leave me like the rest of the guys! Yeah, fuck you Jem Coughlin!"

"Scarlett, please," Jem begged innocently. "I'm begging you. Please calm down because I really, really need your help."

"_Oh_, Jem Coughlin needs my help!" Scarlett snarled. "What the fuck do you want?"

"I was kind of arrested this morning," Jem said nervously. He'd never been so terrified in his life. Scarlett McAuley was definitely a force to be reckoned with.

"_You what!?_" she shrieked.

Jem flinched as he felt his eardrum vibrate. She really had some lungs on her. "Scarlett, I don't have much time, but I really need your help. Please just come help me out."

An eerie silence followed and Jem got nervous that she had hung up on him. His time was running out. He most likely only had a minute or less so he really needed her to answer him.

"You know what, Jem Coughlin," she finally said. "I don't think you've learned your lesson."

"Wait, what?" Jem asked, sincerely confused.

"I think you need to stay down there for a little bit and think about your poor life choices," Scarlett said. And with that, the line went dead. Jem pulled the receiver away from his ear and stared at it in bewilderment before returning it to its proper place.

"Alright Coughlin," one of the cops that had booked him said. "Time's up. Come with me."

Jem sighed as he bowed his head and followed the cop to his doom.

* * *

They'd been grilling him with questions about the robbery but Jem Coughlin was a tough cookie. He was a rock and he wasn't going to crack. They'd made him read a paper with dialogue on it. Some of them were his words. Some of them were Doug's. Some of them were even Gloansy's. He masked his voice slightly as he read the words from the paper so as to convince the FBI that it wasn't him who had originally spoken them.

Jem had lost track of time after the first hour. He'd been taken into the room to be interrogated at about 12:30 so he figured it had to be about 2:00 or 2:30. He was starting to grow bored of the questions and some of them were the same thing over and over, just worded differently.

The FBI had started another round of questions when the door opened and one of the cops brought another manila folder in for the FBI. But it wasn't the minor interruption that caught Jem's attention. It was the commotion down the hall that caught his attention.

"You have been questioning him for _how long_ without a lawyer?" he heard a female's voice ask condescendingly.

"Miss, I'm going to have to ask you to take a seat and wait for them to finish," a calm female voice answered.

"I'm his fucking lawyer!" he heard Scarlett shriek and Jem couldn't help but smile.

"What the hell is going on out there?" the FBI agent asked, not taking his eyes off of the folder in front of him.

"Just some chick freaking out over Coughlin here," the cop said as he brushed it off with a wave of his hand.

"Look," Jem heard Scarlett continue. "It's stated in his Miranda Rights that he has the right to a lawyer. Well I'm his fucking lawyer and I'm here and I'm ordering you to stop questioning him!"

"Well, where were you when he was booked two hours ago?" the other woman questioned.

"I was in a fucking meeting! I have other clients other than him, you know!" Scarlett shrieked. Jem heard her Boston accent slipping back in and it was making an appearance very quickly. "So if I were you, I would release him now because I am fucking pissed."

There was a deafening silence and Jem only hoped Scarlett was staring this woman down. Suddenly, there was the sound of approaching footsteps and before he knew it, a woman with short blonde hair appeared in the doorway of Jem's briefing room. She looked annoyed, yet frazzled, and Jem figured it was because she knew she lost her shouting match with Scarlett.

"Excuse me," she said grudgingly. "But you need to stop questioning Coughlin. His lawyer's here and she demands that we cease all questioning."

The FBI agents looked at her in awe before slamming the folders back on the table. The FBI agent to Jem's left pinched the bridge of his nose while the one to Jem's right just waved him away. Jem nearly jumped out of his seat and ran down the hall to Scarlett, but he simply rose from his seat slowly and followed the blonde woman down the hall to get released from the precinct.

When he reached the end of the hall, he could see Scarlett on the other side of the counter, her arms folded across her chest and her eyes filled with rage. Jem knew she must've been pissed at him so he kept his smiles to himself. The blonde woman grabbed the plastic bag filled with Jem's belongings and handed it to him over the counter. Then, she pulled up a clipboard with several forms for him to sign for his release. Jem initialed and signed where he was instructed to and then he passed it to Scarlett so she could do the same. When his belongings were returned to him and all of the proper forms were signed, Scarlett turned on her heel without a word to Jem or the blonde woman and headed out the door.

Jem was right on her heels but he figured he should stay a couple steps behind. He bounded down the steps behind her and followed her to her car. Without turning around to meet his gaze, she jabbed a finger towards the passenger side, as if to order him to get in. Jem jogged around the car to the passenger side and climbed in. Just as he was closing the door, Scarlett climbed into the driver's side and shoved her keys in the ignition. Her car purred as it came to life and Scarlett immediately pulled out of the parking spot.

Turning onto the road, she didn't say a thing to Jem. She just drove with her eyes focused on the road, her hands gripping the steering wheel with white knuckles. From Scarlett's body language, Jem was just waiting for Scarlett to explode. She was pissed. She was furious. And Jem felt guilty that he was one who caused it.

They were turning onto Medford Street when Scarlett decided to finally pipe up. Jem wouldn't look at her. He was too nervous so he kept his gaze focused out the windshield of her car.

"Start talking," Scarlett said through clenched teeth. Jem was too nervous. He didn't know what to say. "_Now!_" she shouted.

Jem jumped in his seat. Oh yeah, she was pissed. "You're not going to like it," Jem mumbled.

"No shit I'm not going to like it," Scarlett snapped. "You fucking called me on my lunch break to tell me that you've been arrested. I sat at work for _two hours_, feeling guilty for leaving you there. And I felt guilty because I'm a good person. So I want you to fucking talk, James, and don't fucking lie to me."

Jem winced at her calling him by his full name but he realized that this was it. This was the moment Jem had been dreading since he first saw Scarlett in the bar that night. He'd let it come to this so it technically was his fault. But he was scared. Jem Coughlin was scared to tell her the truth. He knew that she wouldn't like him afterward, even though he'd been to jail for nine years for murder. Even after that, she still liked him. But the fact that he'd committed these robberies – especially the last two – since she'd come into his life may not be very pleasing to her.

"_Coughlin!_" she snapped. "_Talk._"

"_I robbed a bank, okay!?_" Jem shouted back. He whipped his head to face Scarlett to see her looking out the windshield in awe. "And I robbed that truck on Friday. And I've robbed countless other banks and trucks. I was arrested today on suspicion of armed robbery."

Scarlett was still silent, her eyes still trained forward. "You…" she trailed off, still trying to absorb Jem's confession. When she finally composed herself, she reached over and punched Jem in the arm.

"Ow, what the fuck?" Jem whined.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me, Coughlin!" she shouted. "What else have you lied to me about?"

"I didn't lie," Jem said innocently. "I just didn't tell you everything."

Scarlett shook her head in disgust. She couldn't believe this. She had a feeling that he'd been involved with something when he'd given her that money to pay off her loans. She even made a vague connection between that money and the Cambridge Merchants robbery. But never did she think her inkling would actually be real.

"The money that you gave me," Scarlett said. "That was from the Cambridge Merchants robbery. You were involved with that robbery." It wasn't a question. She pretty much already knew the answer but she just needed Jem to confirm it.

For confirmation, Jem just nodded his head silently. He'd let her down. That was the last thing he wanted to do. There was no way they'd be dating after this car ride; she would definitely end things with him by the end of this car ride. And after that, there was no guarantee that he would see her after she ends things with him.

Suddenly, Scarlett slammed on the brakes and the car came to a screeching halt. Jem's seatbelt nearly choked him as it restrained him from going through the windshield.

"Hey, what the hell?" Jem griped.

"Get out of my car," Scarlett ordered as her voice shook with rage.

"Wait, what?"

"You heard me," Scarlett snarled. "Get the fuck out of my car and walk your sorry ass home."

"Wait, Scarlett, no, let me explain," Jem pleaded.

"I've heard enough now get the fuck out of my car!" she shouted.

"Fine," Jem snapped before opening the door and climbing out. In response, he slammed the door, causing the windows to shake from the force. Scarlett watched Jem turn around and start walking off with his back towards her. Scarlett shook her head in disbelief before flooring it and speeding off to her townhouse in East Cambridge.

She could feel her throat closing up as hot tears prickled in the corners of her eyes. But she needed to keep it together. She knew crying while she was driving wasn't a smart idea so she continuously swallowed to hold back the tears until she got home.

When she reached her road, she noticed a parking spot right in front of her house and she parked in the spot. The moment she put her car in park and turned off the ignition, the tears began to spill over. She folded her arms on top of the steering wheel and then rested her forehead on top. Her body was wracked with heavy sobs as she thought about the past month with Jem. She could forgive him for killing someone when he was eighteen. He'd done his time but the thought of him possibly going back because of committing armed robbery absolutely terrified her.

The thought of Jem going back to Walpole made Scarlett cry even harder. She cared about him too much to see him go back to Walpole. She wasn't quite sure what they were to each other at the moment. Whether they were still dating was up in the air, but Scarlett's feelings for Jem didn't change one bit. This had been a bad decision on his part, but that still didn't change how she felt about him. That still didn't change how he felt about her, how he acted around her, and how he treated her.

"Why Jem why?" she croaked with her hoarse voice. She breathed deeply as she tried to control the sobs but was only met with more tears. She stayed out in her car for almost an hour, sitting hunched over the steering wheel as her body was wracked with sob after sob. She didn't want to believe this was happening.

When she finally controlled her tears and sobs, she wiped her face dry before reaching behind her and grabbing her purse from the backseat. She pulled her keys from the ignition and wiped her face again before opening the car door. She rounded the front of the car, walked up her front steps, and stepped into her house so she could resume drowning in her sorrows.

* * *

**Uh oh! Things do not look good between Jem and Scarlett. Now that she knows about his involvement with the robberies, think she'll overlook it and take him back? Stay tuned!**

**As always, thank you for adding this to your favorites, signing up for alerts, and reviewing. Reviews are very much appreciated and they motivate me to write so please leave me a lovely review to let me know what you think!**


	14. Daddy's Little Girl

**Anyone wondering where Scarlett's family is? She's been back in Charlestown, and yet, we know nothing about her parents. Well, this chapter, you'll find out. I can bet you tears will be shed. I got a little misty-eyed writing this. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Daddy's Little Girl**

By the end of the week, Scarlett was an emotional wreck. She hadn't seen or talked to Jem since she'd picked him up from the precinct on Monday but he was still on her mind. He was _always_ on her mind. She wondered if she'd been too harsh on him, but then she'd quickly remember that he had robbed a bank and, most recently, a truck. Then, her anger would consume her again, followed by a round of sobbing.

Rachel and Lacey noticed Scarlett's strange behavior, especially when they mentioned Jem. Typically, Scarlett would tense up and bite the inside of her cheek when one of them mentioned Charlestown's notorious bad boy. Then, Scarlett would mumble some incoherent response before quickly changing the subject. Any normal friends would let it go but Lacey and Rachel were Scarlett's best friends. They weren't going to let it go, especially if it was affecting their best friend so negatively.

On Friday night, after all three women were off of work, they met for dinner at a nice Italian restaurant near Boston University. Rachel and Lacey noticed that Scarlett was a little perkier than usual, so they hoped that meant positive things for her relationship with Jem. If not, then she was clearly putting on an act for them.

They took their seats and ordered their drinks while they looked over the menu. In silence, they studied the menu to decide on what to eat. By the time their waiter returned with their drinks, they were ready to order and they recited their orders to their waiter. He listened intently as he jotted down their orders. Promptly thanking them when they finished, he walked off to put their orders in and leave the women to converse among themselves.

Lacey and Rachel figured they wouldn't ask Scarlett before dinner came. They didn't want to ruin the dinner date before it had practically even started. Instead, they made small talk by asking her about her job and if she still liked being back in Boston. Scarlett had answered with a faint smile on her face as she recanted a couple stories from her days at work before segueing to sharing memories from high school.

The three women laughed from that point on about crazy slumber party stories and that time a food fight nearly broke out in the cafeteria during junior year. Lacey and Rachel laughed along with Scarlett and they were happy to finally see her smiling again. They almost regretted the plan they'd concocted to weasel some information out of her during dinner about Jem. But they needed to follow through with the plan. If it was actually something serious, they were her best friends and they needed to know.

After laughing and smiling over memories from high school, their food had arrived. The waiter placed each dish in front of its respective owner before walking off to tend to his other tables. The three women dug into their meals, savoring the rich seasonings and flavors with every bite.

When the three of them were close to finishing off their meals, Rachel and Lacey glanced at each other out of the corner of their eyes. They indiscreetly nodded before turning back to Scarlett, who was twirling around a wad of spaghetti on her fork. They waited for her to put it into her mouth, chew, and swallow before posing the burning question at hand.

"Hey Scarlett," Lacey said, garnering Scarlett's attention. "You barely talk about Jem anymore. Are you guys okay?"

Scarlett kept her gaze focused on her place, absentmindedly poking at the chicken underneath a pile of past. Rachel and Lacey stared at her, waiting for a response. Scarlett twirled more pasta around before she set it down with a sigh.

"I-I don't know," Scarlett stuttered, keeping her gaze focused on her lap. "Things have been bad between us."

"Did he do something to you?" Rachel chimed in. "So help me God, if he did something to you - ."

"He didn't do anything to me, per se…" Scarlett trailed off.

"Well what happened?" Rachel whined.

Scarlett merely shook her head. "Not here," she mumbled.

Rachel and Lacey nodded in understanding. Clearly it was too personal to talk about at dinner in public. Scarlett returned to her meal, but pushed it out of the way after two more bites. Rachel and Lacey finished their meals as well and then flagged down their waiter for the check. They paid their bill and then set off to return to their cars.

"Come back to my house and I'll tell you what's going on," Scarlett said with a sigh as she climbed into her car. Rachel and Lacey blankly stared at her before climbing into their own cars to follow Scarlett home.

When they reached her townhouse in East Cambridge, they quickly parked before catching up with Scarlett on the front porch. They walked into the house and took their seats in the living room. They got comfortable because they could tell this was going to be a long story. Scarlett settled on an armchair and took a deep breath as she prepared herself for the story that she was about to tell.

"You have to promise me that you won't tell anyone," Scarlett ordered. In response, Rachel and Lacey nodded their heads before Scarlett continued. "I guess I should start at the beginning," Scarlett said with a sigh. "Everything was fine about a week ago. He came over late, unexpected, but I didn't care. I could tell something was bugging him but he wouldn't tell me.

"I let him stay over but things escalated and we ended up having sex," Scarlett said as she dropped her gaze to her lap, refusing to meet her friends' eyes.

"Wow Scar," Lacey breathed. "That's a big step for you since you haven't had sex in how long?"

"Six years," Scarlett stated bluntly. "Yeah, I know. I even told him what had happened in the past and he was okay with it. He just…." Scarlett trailed off as she tried to arrange her thoughts. Her friends knew about her dating and sexual history and they knew she didn't have the best luck with guys. Like Scarlett, they'd probably hoped Jem would be different despite his history.

"He just treated me so different than the other guys," Scarlett continued. "He didn't even want to leave that morning. I practically had to kick him out of bed because I told him he'd be late. But that was before I _really_ knew what he was planning to do."

Rachel and Lacey stared at Scarlett in bewilderment. "What do you mean?" Lacey chimed in.

This was the moment that Scarlett was afraid of. She knew the moment she told Lacey and Rachel about Jem's involvement with the robberies, they would disapprove. They would tell her she had to tell the cops and stay far away from Jem. But that was the last thing Scarlett wanted. Even though, morally, Scarlett knew she should go to the cops, her feelings for Jem were keeping her from doing so.

"H-he…" she trailed off. She was scared of what they would think of her. "He was the one who robbed that truck last week and he robbed Cambridge Merchants."

"_What!?_" shrieked Rachel and Lacey.

"By himself?" Rachel choked out.

"No," Scarlett said. "I'm assuming Doug's in on it too, and Jem's friends Gloansy and Dez too."

"This is unbelievable," Lacey said as she shook her head.

"Yeah," Scarlett breathed. "He got arrested Monday morning for suspicion of armed robbery and I'm guessing the rest of the guys were too. I picked him up from the precinct. I was so pissed off that I demanded he tell me why he was there and that's when he told me."

Rachel and Lacey stared back at Scarlett in awe. "Monday was the first time I saw him, or even talked to him, since Friday morning," Scarlett continued. "I thought he just used me and then dumped me like the rest of the guys, but it turned out that he had robbed that truck. But I picked him up from the precinct, he confessed to the robberies to me, I kicked him out of the car, and I haven't seen him since."

"Scar, you need to tell someone," Rachel whispered. "This is serious. People could get hurt."

"No," Scarlett said bluntly.

"Yes," Lacey said comfortingly. "You have to."

"I don't want to," Scarlett grumbled. "I know I have to, but I don't want to. I can't do that to Jem."

"You might have to. I'm sorry," Lacey said apologetically.

Scarlett leaned forward to rest her elbows on her knees and cradle her head in her hands. "I thought he'd turned his life around," Scarlett choked out as she felt tears threatening to spill over. "I told myself that too many times and I started to believe it, but I guess I was wrong."

Scarlett knew it would come to this. Rachel and Lacey weren't in the situation Scarlett was in. Scarlett cared immensely about Jem and his fate rested in her hands. If she told the police, Jem could go back to Walpole, and Scarlett cared way too much about him to see him go back there. But if she didn't tell the police, there was no telling how far Jem would take this. People, maybe even Jem, could get hurt in the process. Scarlett was just so incredibly conflicted that she didn't quite know what to do.

Though Rachel and Lacey didn't understand, there was someone – Scarlett realized – that would understand. Scarlett lifted her head and swallowed heavily to fight back the tears. "I need to talk to my dad," Scarlett announced.

"Oh no, honey, no," Rachel pleaded. "That is the last person you want to talk to right now."

"Why not?" Scarlett mused. "He doesn't judge me. He listens. Plus, he's my dad."

"Scarlett," Lacey interjected. "This is a bad idea. What happened with your dad - ."

"Was bad," Scarlett finished Lacey's sentence. "What happened to him was bad, very bad, but he's my dad and that's never going to change."

Rachel and Lacey sat staring at Scarlett in awe once again. Scarlett knew this was a bad idea too, but once a Daddy's Girl, always a Daddy's Girl. Her dad was the only person she wanted to talk to involving this situation.

Scarlett rose from the armchair and sighed. "I'm going to bed. I need to get up early to go see him."

"Scar, let's talk about this," Lacey said. "We're sorry, okay? Just sit down and we'll let you tell us your side of the story. We won't judge you. We won't tell you what to do. Just don't go see your dad. It'll make things worse."

"Yeah," Rachel agreed. "What happened to him was hard on you, and especially since it happened during your first year of law school."

"I got through it," Scarlett stated. "Now if you don't mind, I want to go to bed. I have to get up early. The morning is the only time I can talk to him. It's only right."

Rachel and Lacey both glanced at each before rising from the couch and heading to the door. Silently, Scarlett followed them to show them out. She politely bid them goodnight before closing the door in their faces. Of course she knew it was rude, but she'd heard enough from them for the rest of the night. She just needed to end it on her terms.

With a sigh, Scarlett rubbed her eyes before wheeling around to head up the stairs. She had a long, emotional day ahead of her and the only way to prepare was with a good night's sleep.

* * *

The bleak, grey walls of Walpole seemed to mock her as she followed the guard down the hall to the visitation room. Given the circumstances that she was visiting for, she couldn't help but feel like the hallowed halls of Walpole were mocking her. She was visiting her criminal father to talk to him about her criminal boyfriend. It was almost as if Walpole was just waiting to welcome her to her own cell too.

They turned down the hall before sharply turning into the visitation room. There were several cubbies with a single chair for the visitor to sit on. The visitor and the convict were divided by a plexiglass window and they communicated via telephones that were positioned on the dividers between each cubby.

"Station five," the guard said to Scarlett. Scarlett nodded in understanding before walking towards the cubby with the number five listed on it. She pulled out the chair – the legs making a scratching noise against the tiled floor – and then sat down as she waited for her father's arrival. Nervously, she bounced her leg up and down as she picked at her raw cuticles.

Suddenly, a buzzer went off and a door opened to allow the inmates to see their visitors. Scarlett kept her eyes trained forward; she didn't dare glance up until her father had reached their visitation cubby. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her father sit down and reach for the telephone on his side of the plexiglass. Scarlett reached for her phone as well and pressed it up against her ear.

For a couple minutes, she just sat there, staring at her father. The last time she had seen him was the day he was convicted of running a chop shop in the garage in their backyard. Not only had he been convicted of running the chop shop, he had also been convicted of stealing the cars, as well as assaulting a police officer the day he had been arrested.

Scarlett knew why he did it. He'd admitted it to her the day he'd been convicted. He'd been running the chop shop so he could earn a little extra money to give to her to put towards law school. Eerily similar to Jem, Scarlett's dad wanted her to be able to pay off her students loans as quickly as possible after law school. He didn't want to see his one and only child suffer in debt. So, he risked his own well-being for her.

Unfortunately, the money got confiscated by the police and Scarlett's father was now doing 15 years in Walpole for his actions. To say that he was the only person Scarlett could talk to about Jem was an understatement.

"Hi Daddy," Scarlett choked out as she already started to feel tears prickling at the corners of her eyes.

"Well this is a surprise," Scarlett's father said as he shifted in his chair. "How are you doing, sweetheart?"

Scarlett felt her chest constrict at the mention of the nickname that Jem typically called her. She swallowed to fight back the tears, reminding herself to keep it together. "I'm okay," Scarlett said as she shrugged her shoulders. "I'm sorry I didn't come see you sooner. My new job's been a little crazy."

That had been a total lie. Her job was manageable. If she hadn't been so caught up with Jem Coughlin, she would've been able to see her own father sooner. But of course, she'd been selfish and she had to put herself first.

"It's alright," Mr. McAuley said. "I'm just glad you got the job. In your last letter, you mentioned that you were nervous you wouldn't get it so I'm glad you did."

Scarlett smiled weakly at her father. Even though he had been thrown into Walpole because of something he had been doing for her, he still treated her like a princess. Scarlett had expected her father to resent her a bit when he'd been convicted. It wasn't like she asked him to operate a chop shop in the backyard to help pay for her school tuition but she still expected him hate her just a little bit. On the contrary, he had admitted the opposite. Her father admitted to her, just before they'd taken him to Walpole, that he didn't regret it one bit and that he would do it all over again if it meant that she could go to school to pursue a career she was passionate about. The confession had Scarlett feeling guilty for the past seven years.

"Well, I got it," Scarlett said with a nervous laugh. "Are you doing okay, Dad?"

Her father shrugged. "I get by," he said. "I don't get in trouble, though, if that's the answer you were expecting. I mostly keep to myself."

"That's good," Scarlett said unenthusiastically. "I just don't want you to be getting in any trouble."

"I'm not, darling. Don't worry about me," he said with a crooked smile. Scarlett had to smile at that. She flashed a hint of a smile at him before reverting back to her sullen expression.

"How's Mom?" her father asked.

"Still in Hawaii," Scarlett answered. "Last I talked to her, she was going to write you a letter but I wouldn't expect her to."

"That woman could never keep a promise," her father scoffed. "Washing the dishes, doing laundry…she would say she was going to do them but she never did."

Scarlett cracked a smile as she bowed her head. Her father was in quite possibly the worst place, in Scarlett's opinion, and yet he still cracked jokes as if it were a Saturday afternoon in the middle of July during a Red Sox game.

"Alright," her father said. "Why are you really here?"

"Huh?"

"You can't fool me, honey," Mr. McAuley said. "I saw your face when I walked out here. Something's bothering you. What is it?"

She should've been surprised but Scarlett's father had always been able to read her like an open book. She should've known he'd be able to read her when he came out to the visitation room.

"Come on. Lay it on me," he coaxed.

Scarlett took a deep breath, nervous as to what he was going to think of her after this. If it were physically possible, he would throw a lasso around the moon and pull it to Earth to give it to her if that's what she wanted. He would do anything for her. But advice on Jem Coughlin? She wasn't so sure how this was going to turn out.

"I know you probably don't want to hear this," Scarlett said. "I mean, dads never like hearing about their daughters dating but I'm having guy trouble."

"Okay," he said. "Go on."

Scarlett bit her lip as she stared at her father through the dirty plexiglass window. "Dad, do you remember Jem Coughlin?"

Scarlett watched as the name registered with her father. Then, several different emotions flashed across his face. Scarlett wasn't sure it was possible for someone to feel that much emotion in two seconds, but her father always amazed her.

"Yeah," he said finally. "He got released from here a couple years ago, right? I think I saw him a couple times."

Scarlett nodded. "You can judge me all you want," she said sullenly. "But I have such a huge problem. H-he's…he's involved with some bad stuff, Dad. Sort of like what you did, but worse. I don't know, maybe worse, maybe the same. But it could land him back in Walpole."

She watched her father nod his head in understanding, but of course, he wasn't judging her. She could just tell by the look on his face.

"Aren't you wondering why I care?" Scarlett asked.

"Sort of," her father said with a shrug of his shoulders. "But it doesn't take a genius to figure it out that you're in love with him."

Scarlett felt her jaw drop. She wanted to say something as a rebuttal but she couldn't quite find the words. And maybe that was because she knew her father was right. She'd been struggling with why she was having such a hard time coming to terms with his confession. And now, she realized it thanks to her father. Scarlett was in love with Jem Coughlin and there was nothing she could do about it.

"Look, Coughlin's a loose cannon. He's a wild card, but if that guy loves you back, he'll prove it to you. Whatever he's involved with, he'll take it down a notch or stop completely just for you," her father said. Scarlett stared at her father with adoration through the plexiglass window. "Besides, I always did tell you that - ."

"You can't help who you fall in love with," Scarlett interrupted with a small smile on her face.

"Yeah, exactly. Look at your mother and I. She was batshit crazy," Mr. McAuley said.

Scarlett guffawed at her father's lame yet true joke. "Still is," she added.

The father and daughter pair laughed at their own lame jokes until they calmed themselves down and reverted back into silence. Their gazes locked on each other's through the dirty plexiglass window, exchanging silent yet painful words to one another.

"I miss you, Dad," Scarlett choked out, feeling the tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. Many tears had been shed over Jem Coughlin the past couple of days, but these were for her father. Biting the inside of her cheek, she reached out with her free hand and touched her fingertips to the dirty plexiglass window. In response, her father did the same. If it weren't for the thin glass, their fingers would be touching right now. What Scarlett wouldn't give just to hold her father's hand again because right now, she would give up ever seeing Jem again just to feel her father comfortingly hold her hand.

"Miss you too," he said.

"Alright, time's up!" one of the guards shouted, his voice echoing throughout the vast room. Scarlett jumped at the man's deep voice before turning back to her father. She could feel the tears pooling in the corners of her eyes but she swallowed to choke them back.

"I love you, Daddy," she whispered.

"Love you too, Scarlett," her father replied. With that, he hung up the phone and rose from his chair. With the phone still pressed against her ear, Scarlett watched as her father was shepherded back into the other room to be taken back to his cell. When her father disappeared completely, she hung up the phone with a sigh and rose from her chair. Dragging her feet across the room, she made her way out of the visitation room and down the hall to escape the prison that she felt like was suffocating her.

* * *

**Oh boy, think we understand Scarlett a little better now? Will she reconcile with Jem now that she's talked with her father? Stay tuned!**

**As always, thank you for adding this to your favorites, signing up for alerts, and reviewing. Reviews are very much appreciated and they help motivate me to write so please leave me a lovely review to let me know what you think!**


	15. Sacrifices

**Hey everyone! My first class tomorrow got cancelled so I decided to put homework aside for an hour and two to crank this out. The feedback you guys have been giving is great so I hope you'll keep it coming. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Sacrifices**

Jem hadn't seen Scarlett in a little over two weeks. He'd fucked up. He'd fucked up big time. He didn't want to be like one of those guys that fucked her then dumped her, but it had turned out like that and he felt guilty. On top of that, he'd confessed about the robberies and now she wasn't talking to him. As far as he knew, they were over. For all he knew, she could go to the FBI and tell them about Jem's connection with the robberies. For some reason, he just didn't expect her to keep it to herself.

Jem was bored without her, too. He would go to the bar with the guys, hoping she'd show up there but he knew that she was smarter than that. Jem would act like his normal self around Doug and the other guys, but when he'd return to the apartment, he would stare blankly at the door, hoping she would show up. Nothing on the TV entertained him and not even playing Xbox made him feel better.

It was worse when a storm rolled in and knocked out the power. The winds had picked up, the sky lit up angrily, and the rain pounded the roof of the apartment. Even if watching TV or playing Xbox had entertained him, he didn't have the choice of using them what with the electricity being out. So Jem sat and stared at the door, hoping that someone – and it didn't necessarily have to be Scarlett – would show up and hang out with him.

The storm lasted about an hour and Jem desperately tried to bide his time until then. He contemplated lighting up a joint but it just wasn't the same if he didn't do it with the guys. Instead, he grabbed a deck of cards and absentmindedly shuffled them. When he grew bored of that, he decided to play a game of Go Fish by himself. The verdict was that it wasn't as fun when you played it alone.

Just as the storming was dying down, Jem started to hear strange thumping sounds. He figured it was just the wind and the rain but when it started to grow louder, Jem grew irritated. He glanced out the window to check and see if the building was still intact. All of the siding was still in place and there was nothing in the small patch of grass that could blow away.

With a sigh, Jem sat back down on the couch as the pounding continued and his eyes suddenly flitted to the door. He could see it shaking violently, most likely from someone pounding on it from the other side. He stared at the door for a couple more seconds before slowly rising from the couch and heading to the door. His first couple steps were hesitant, but he picked up the pace and before he knew it, he was yanking open to door to find Scarlett staring back at him.

She was soaked from head to toe and her mascara was smeared across her face. Wet strands of her hair clung to her face while her clothing stuck to her body. She was visibly shivering but her gaze still stayed locked on Jem's. They stood there in silence, staring at one another and listening to the wind whistle. Jem was happy to see her. He was beyond thrilled to see her, but the blank expression on his face didn't show it.

"Hey," was all he managed to say.

Scarlett was silent for a couple seconds as she took Jem's appearance before piping up. "Why do you do it?" she asked over the pitter patter of the rain against the roof of the building.

"Scarlett - ."

"You could turn your life around," she continued as if Jem hadn't interrupted. "I always thought you would when you got out of prison but that's just where you're going to end up again if you keep this up."

"I don't know what you want me to do," Jem growled, his temper starting to flare. "Who wants to hire a murderer? I can't get a fucking job. I'm lazy as shit. So, you know, why not?"

"Jem," she said softly. Jem felt his heart start to race. He was happy to hear his name on her lips again. "There are people who care about you a lot who don't want to see you go back to Walpole."

He could see where this was going. She didn't want him to go back to Walpole. Hell, even he didn't want to go back to Walpole. "Don't you mean _you_ don't want to see me go back to Walpole?" he scoffed. She'd avoided him for a little over two weeks and now she suddenly cared enough to confront him about this. Jem was a little pissed.

Scarlett sighed. "Yeah," she said exasperatedly. "I do mean me." Scarlett swallowed nervously as she stared Jem down. "Jem, I don't know if you know this, but my dad's in Walpole," she confessed. "He's been in there since my first year of law school. He was operating a chop shop in our backyard so he could help me pay for school."

Jem racked his brain in hopes of trying to recall hearing about her dad. Jem never met her dad. He didn't even know what he looked like but if he had been in Walpole since Scarlett's first year of law school, there was a chance that he and Jem could've crossed paths.

"Jem," she sighed. "I don't want to see you go back there, too. My dad's probably going to die in prison. He got 15 years for stealing cars, operating a chop shop, and assaulting a police officer, and it doesn't look like he'll be released anytime soon. So can you see where I'm coming from? Can you see why I don't want you to end up back in Walpole?"

Jem understood. But what he didn't understand was why she cared so much. Sure, they'd been dating but Jem was under the impression they were over. Why did she care so much for a criminal like Jem Coughlin?

"Why do you care so much? It's not your fucking problem if I end up back in Walpole or not," Jem grumbled.

"I'm sorry, Jem. I care. I'm sorry I care," Scarlett snapped. "Why is that such a bad thing?"

Now that Jem thought about it, it really wasn't such a bad thing. He barely had any family left. His father had died in prison. His mom died of AIDS. Krista might as well be dead to him too for all she cared about him. The only person close to family he had was Doug and Jem was seriously questioning his loyalty as of recently. But other than that, he had no one. So why was it such a bad thing for Scarlett to care about him?

"James, I want an answer," Scarlett ordered. Jem had to admit he didn't like when people called him James. The name sounded so proper, like he should be some rich guy's kid. But as the name tumbled from her lips, Jem had to admit he liked the way it sounded.

"It's not a bad thing," he admitted, not daring to meet her gaze.

"So why don't you just let me in, Jem?" she begged. "I care about you and you wouldn't even tell me about the most important parts of your life. I have to find out you rob banks because you were arrested on suspicion of armed robbery."

Jem hung his head, actually disappointed in himself for disappointing her. She was the one person who cared about him and didn't judge him, and he had lied to her.

"You can do so much better, Jem," she sighed.

"You know what, I'm done hearing you lecture me for today," Jem said as he started to close the door but Scarlett stopped him by jamming her foot in the doorway.

"Don't shut me out," she growled as her crystal blue eyes filled with rage. Jem stared at her for a couple seconds. She was pissed. She cared about him so much that she was furious with him.

"I'm sorry if this pisses you off but…" she trailed off as she took a deep breath. "I love you, Jem Coughlin. I'm sorry, but I do. If you don't like that, then that's fine but don't shut out the one person who honestly and truly cares about you."

Jem stared at her in shock. He didn't know what to say. He'd never had a girl confess her love to him before, mostly because all the girls he'd ever been with had been one night stands. But this, he wasn't prepared for this. Yet, somehow, he was okay with it.

With a mischievous smirk, he swiftly pulled her into the apartment and slammed the door behind them. Before she could say a word, he pushed her up against the door and quickly crushed his lips to hers. It took her a second to respond and when she did, she started to battle him for dominance. Her lips molded perfectly to his and her tongue darted out to wrestle with him.

When he pulled away from her, they were both breathless. He could tell she wanted more just by the eagerness in her eyes.

"Don't even apologize for saying you love me sweetheart," Jem mumbled against her lips. Scarlett smiled as she let out a nervous giggle before Jem leaned in again and crushed his lips to hers.

It wasn't long until Jem's hands started to explore her body. His hands snuck underneath her shirt and his hands rested on her hips for a second before moving to tug at her soaked sweatshirt. Scarlett moaned against Jem's lips and he smirked at the sound.

"Don't start," Jem said in between kisses. "You have no idea what you do to me, sweetheart."

Scarlett giggled again and Jem smiled. There was nothing better than hearing her laughter. "I missed you so much, Jem," she whined. "I'm so sorry."

"You're forgiven," Jem growled as he bit her bottom lip playfully.

It wasn't long before they were stumbling through his apartment to his bedroom. The moment they set foot in there, Scarlett peeled her sweatshirt off of her body and tossed it on the floor. She attacked Jem's lips with much force as she started to tug at the hem of his shirt. Jem smiled at the feel of her hands close to his hips and he lifted his arms above his head for her to take his shirt off. She threw the piece of clothing across the room before attacking his lips again, hungry for more.

They started backing up until the backs of Scarlett's legs hit the edge of the bed. They collapsed on the bed, but not once breaking the kiss. It became more intense when Jem started to claw at Scarlett's clothing in hopes of speeding up the process. Scarlett smirked against Jem's lips and did the job herself, pulling her shirt over her head and chucking it over the side of the bed. She started to undo the button on her jeans but Jem swatted her hands away and undid the button himself before yanking her jeans off.

Scarlett backed up on the bed with a mischievous smirk on her face while Jem crawled on top of her. He lowered himself down so that his face was brushing up against her flat stomach. He heard her let out a moan of pleasure and Jem smirked to himself.

"Jem," she moaned breathlessly. "Now."

Jem smirked to himself before lifting his head from her soft stomach and crawling up to her so that he was face-to-face with her. With just a mischievous smirk, he lowered himself down and softly pressed his lips to hers. He felt her wrap her arms around his neck while her legs locked around his lower back. He let out a growl and Scarlett giggled.

It wasn't much longer until the final pieces of clothing were shed from their bodies and two were becoming one as they made love into the night.

* * *

When Scarlett awoke hours later, she had the familiar feeling of security as she felt Jem's strong arms wrapped around her. She buried her face into her pillow as she smiled to herself. She never could've imagined sex with Jem Coughlin to be so gentle. The first time around, he had been especially careful with her and she figured it had to do with her confession beforehand. This time around, she hadn't seen him in two weeks so she thought it would've been rough and noisy but he was still gentle and careful with her, almost as if he thought she was going to break.

From behind her, she felt Jem stir and she failed to hide the smile that spread across her face. Jem placed a kiss on her neck as he caught sight of the smile spreading across her face.

"What are you smiling about?" he asked as his arms tightened around her waist.

"Nothing," she said playfully as she buried her face in the pillow.

"Don't lie to me," Jem growled as he playfully nipped at her ear.

"You," she said sheepishly. "I was thinking about you."

"I'm flattered," Jem said teasingly.

Scarlett giggled as she relaxed against Jem's muscular chest. She let out a sigh as Jem's arms tightened around her. She knew this was still wrong. Jem was involved with something illegal. Then again, her dad had been involved with something illegal too, and she still loved him. Was it okay for her to be with Jem Coughlin while he was robbing banks?

Suddenly, her conversation with her father popped into her mind. Her dad was right. Jem was a loose cannon and a wild card, but maybe if she asked him what he was willing to do for her, then she would know if he was worth it. She peeked up at Jem from out of the corner of her eye to see him half-asleep. She gently nudged him with her elbow and he grunted. She carefully shifted in his arms before rolling onto her back. Rubbing one of his eyes, he propped himself up on his elbow as he stared back at her with tired eyes.

"Jem, I really don't want to ruin this moment but I have to ask you something," Scarlett said nervously.

"Hmmm, what?" he asked sleepily.

Scarlett bit her lip nervously. She wasn't sure how he was going to react to this. "I admitted that I love you. Do you love me?" she asked.

Jem stared back at her but didn't say a word. He wasn't quite sure what to say. He'd never been in a situation like this. A girl had never told him she loved him so this was all very new to him. However, Jem knew that he loved Scarlett, he just didn't know how to say it. Since this was new to him, he wasn't quite sure he could express it the way he knew he should.

"Jem," she whispered.

"Yeah," he said. "Yeah, yeah, I do."

"You what?" she challenged, feeling a smile spread across her face. She knew what he was saying. She just wanted to hear him actually say it.

"Yeah, I love you," he said.

Scarlett grinned. "So if you love me, what are you willing to do for me?" she asked.

"Don't you mean _to_ you?" Jem grinned mischievously.

Scarlett shoved him in the shoulder as Jem chuckled at his crude joke. "Stop it. Seriously, what are you willing to do for me?"

"Anything," Jem stated. Scarlett could tell his answer was sincere.

"Anything?" she asked.

"Anything," he answered affirmatively.

"Stop robbing banks and trucks and whatever else you may rob," she said.

She knew that if Jem wasn't looking straight at her, he would've let his jaw drop. It was a lot to ask from him, especially since they'd just reconciled. But Scarlett's dad was right. If he really cared, he would do what she asked of him.

Jem groaned as he rolled onto his back and shoved the heels of his palms into his eyes. "I don't know if I can," he groaned.

"You _can_, Jem," Scarlett said. "You don't have to worry about money. I may have student loans but I have more than enough. I will support your lazy ass if that means I know that you're safe."

Jem shook his head. "No, I can't let you do that," he said. "Plus, it's way more complicated."

Scarlett scooted closer to Jem and rested her chin on his bare chest. "Jem, please let me in. Please talk to me." She ran a hand over his bare chest, continuing down to his groin. She grabbed his crotch, which caused him to jump.

"Jesus, Scar," he growled before flipping her onto her back. She giggled before he attacked her lips with his. She knew he was stalling and she was kind of okay with that, but there was no way he could avoid this topic for long.

"Jem, seriously, tell me," she sighed in between kisses. "Let me in."

Jem pulled away from her and sighed as he dropped his forehead to rest against hers. He closed his eyes for a second before rolling off of her and landing on his back. She saw him swallow nervously with his eyes still closed, most likely contemplating arguing against telling her.

"I'm just stuck," he said. "I work for this guy that my dad also worked for so I'm kind of stuck working for him. I can't get out."

"Jem, just tell him you want to quit," Scarlett pleaded.

"It's not that easy," he growled, whipping his head to the side to stare back at her with angry eyes. "Fergie's not a nice guy. I could leave but he'd track me down."

"Fergie?" Scarlett questioned. "The owner of the flower shop?"

"Yeah," he answered affirmatively.

"Jem, he's harmless," Scarlett stated.

"Really? Do you know him personally? I don't think you do," Jem snapped.

"Jem," she whispered as she straddled his hips and then leaned forward so that her lips were just inches from his. "Please," she begged. "Please just try to do this _one thing_ for me."

As Jem stared into her crystal blue eyes, he wanted to try to leave this life behind but he knew it would never work. He could tell her he'd try but it would be a lie, and he didn't want to lie to her again. But instinct took over and he merely nodded his head because he was going to dig deep down and try to leave this life behind for a new one with her.

* * *

**Oh boy, think Jem will try to work things out for Scarlett? For them? Stay tuned!**

**As always, thank you for adding this to your favorites, signing up for alerts, and reviewing. Reviews are very much appreciated and they help motivate me to write so please leave me a lovely review to let me know what you think!**


	16. Dropping the Bomb

**Oh boy, I think you guys are going to like this chapter. Will Jem keep his promise to leave the criminal lifestyle? Read and find out. Enjoy!**

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**Dropping the Bomb**

Things fell back into place rather nicely for Jem and Scarlett. Once they'd sorted things out between them, it was almost as if they hadn't gone two weeks without talking to one another. But there was still the looming presence of Scarlett's stipulation and Jem knew he had to do something about it. How he was going to approach the situation, he wasn't quite sure. He may be a tough son of a bitch, but Jem had to admit that Fergie intimidated him.

In the meantime, Jem tried to find alternative ways to get out of this mess. He still liked robbing banks and trucks for the thrill of it. He liked having all that cash afterwards at his disposal. He could do whatever he wanted with it. He could buy enough blow to send him to Jesus. He could gamble half of his money away at a casino, only to win it all back and then some. But he still needed to get out of this mess for Scarlett. He had (somewhat) promised her he would. As much as he liked the rush, he had to try to walk away from it for her. For them.

It had been a week after Jem and Scarlett reconciled when Jem had the perfect plan. He knew he was acting out on a limb here, but if Jem wasn't able to get away from this lifestyle, Scarlett would at least be safe. So Jem gathered up all the money he had stashed away in the floorboards of his apartment and headed out to put his plan into place.

* * *

Scarlett had to admit that Jem had been acting strange as of late. About a week after they reconciled, he'd been especially giddy anytime he was around her. It made her suspicious that he was up to something.

Her suspicions were confirmed when Jem had called her one night to tell her he'd be taking her out to dinner the following night. At first, Scarlett thought it was just Jem trying to make up for the two weeks they hadn't talked to each other, but given his recent behavior, she knew it had to be something else. But she agreed because she knew she couldn't deny Jem since he sounded so excited anyways.

She took her time getting ready for dinner, showering two times longer than she normally would and absentmindedly curling her hair. It took her practically 20 minutes to choose a dress to wear. She didn't want to wear one Jem hadn't already seen her in, but she still wanted to look her best. Finally, she chose a black dress with a bustier top and a pleated skirt. It was conservative and demure for wherever they'd be going for dinner, but it was still sexy enough that it would cause Jem to drool all over her.

As Scarlett was zipping up her dress, she heard the doorbell reverberate throughout the house. At that exact moment, the zipper to her dress stopped dead in its track. Groaning out of irritation, Scarlett tugged the zipper but it wouldn't budge. Throwing her hands up in the air in defeat, she walked over to her bedside table and dialed Jem's number. She tucked her phone between her ear and shoulder so she could continue to fiddle with the zipper to her dress.

"Hey," Scarlett heard Jem's rough Boston-accented voice say from the other end.

"Hey," Scarlett said as she tugged at the resistant zipper. "I'm having a bit of a wardrobe issue so do you mind letting yourself in through the backdoor? The key should still be under the flower pot."

"Yeah, no problem," Jem said. "I'll be right in." The line went dead and Scarlett grabbed her phone from between her ear and shoulder and chucked it onto the bed behind her so she could use both hands.

She was still fiddling with the zipper when Jem appeared in her bedroom doorway. She mustered up a measly hello while she continued to fiddle with the zipper. With a chuckle, Jem crossed the room and placed his hands right on top of hers. He gently pushed her hands away and then grabbed the zipper in one hand and the fabric of the dress in the other. He straightened out the zipper's track and the zipper easily glided up the dress.

"Fuck," Scarlett cussed. "Finally."

Jem chuckled. "You look gorgeous," he said as he wrapped his arms around Scarlett's waist. "And fucking sexy."

Scarlett giggled as Jem nipped at the tender skin of her neck and she squirmed in his grasp to turn around and face him. "I'm almost ready. Just give me a few more minutes," Scarlett said. Jem nodded and she pressed a quick kiss to his lips before disappearing into the bathroom. She grabbed her toothbrush and squirted a glob of toothpaste onto the bristles before ferociously brushing her teeth. When she was finished, she rinsed and then gathered all of the necessary items she needed and shoved them into her clutch.

She marched back into her bedroom to find Jem sprawled out onto her bed. His legs were draped over the edge of the bed, the tips of his toes were just barely skimming the floor. Scarlett could see he was bouncing his right leg up and down. She'd never seen him do that so she wondered if he was okay.

"Hey, I'm ready," she said.

Jem sat bolt upright and eyed Scarlett. Finally, he rose from the bed and nodded in approval at Scarlett's ensemble before grabbing her hand and leading her out of the house. When they reached her front steps, Scarlett tore her hand from Jem's grasp to lock the door. Once the door was locked, she turned back around and slipped her hand back into Jem's so he could lead her down the steps.

When they reached his car, Jem opened the door for Scarlett and she climbed in. Jem closed the door and then sprinted around the front of the car to slide into the driver's seat. He shoved the keys in the ignition and the car roared to life. Before Scarlett knew it, they were speeding down the street, heading towards Harvard.

The two of them sat in silence as Jem drove to wherever he had planned their dinner. Besides, Scarlett was too nervous to say anything. Jem had been excited about this dinner. For the past 24 hours, Scarlett had been concocting all kinds of scenarios in her head as to what this may be about. Maybe he had just felt really guilty about lying to her and he wanted to make it up to her by taking her out to dinner. Or maybe he had finally dropped the criminal lifestyle and wanted to discuss it over dinner.

Scarlett spent the entire ride to the restaurant deep in thought. When the car came to a halt, she shook herself from her thoughts and realized that they were outside of a fancy and high-priced restaurant by Harvard. Jem had already climbed out of the driver's seat and was en route to Scarlett's side when she finally composed herself enough to gather up her belongings.

When Jem opened up her door, he reached out and Scarlett took his hand. She carefully climbed out of the car and then smoothed out her skirt when her feet were firmly planted on the ground. When her dress was adjusted to her liking, she grabbed Jem's hand to head into the restaurant.

Stepping into the restaurant, Scarlett took a quick look around and started to wonder why Jem would even bring her here. Dinner on that yacht had been their first date and Jem had been trying to impress her. Now, a simple dinner at a burger joint would have sufficed. He didn't need to impress her anymore so Scarlett wasn't quite sure why he was bringing her to the last place in Boston they wouldn't be caught dead in.

"Is this really necessary, Jem?" Scarlett whispered in Jem's ear after he had given his name to the host.

"For you? Yeah, it's totally necessary," Jem said with a chuckle.

The host gathered up his menus and then gestured to let Jem and Scarlett know they should follow him. Scarlett and Jem followed the host as they wound their way through the clusters of tables in the vast dining room. Finally, they reached their table and the host set their menus down in front of their chairs before stepping aside to let them take their seats.

Like a gentleman, Jem pulled Scarlett's chair out for her and she sat down as she felt a deep red blush creep up on her cheeks. This was a completely different side of Jem. He was a gentleman around her but he knew he didn't have to be.

Jem took his seat across the table from Scarlett and immediately flipped open the menu. Scarlett stared at Jem for a second before doing the same. She kept her eyes trained on the menu until their waiter had arrived at their table. By that time, both of them had decided what they wanted and they ordered their drinks and meals all at once. When they were finished, they handed their menus to their waiter and he sauntered off to retrieve their drinks.

Once again, Scarlett quickly glanced around the room to take in her surroundings. This place definitely wasn't Jem's style and he looked like a fish out of water. And the fact that he brought her here thinking she'd prefer it was absurd. He knew better than to think she would prefer this over a simple pizza joint.

Within a couple minutes, their waiter returned with their drinks and carefully placed them in front of them. He informed Jem and Scarlett that he had just put their meal order in and it should be ready within 20 minutes. Scarlett nodded with a slight smile as their waiter walked off to tend to his other tables.

Scarlett reached across the table and picked up her glass of water to take a sip. She pushed the lemon slice further into her glass and then mixed it around before taking another sip.

"You know, you could've ordered something nicer," Jem said as he picked up his beer and took a long swig. Leave it up to Jem to bring her to the fanciest restaurant and still order the trashiest drink on the face of the planet.

Scarlett shrugged. "I don't feel like drinking tonight."

"Why not?" Jem asked.

"I'm a little nervous as to why you brought me here," she said.

Jem raised his bottle of Guinness. "All the more reason to drink. It takes the edge off," he asked before taking another swig.

Scarlett rolled her eyes at Jem. Typical Jem. Quickly, Scarlett changed the subject to some small talk while they waited for their food to arrive. Scarlett didn't bother to bring up the topic of quitting the criminal life because if that was why he brought her to this restaurant, she didn't want to spoil the delivery of the news. Instead, she just asked about Doug and Krista and Shyne, and in response, Jem asked how her job was going.

Before they knew it, their waiter had reappeared with their food. He set each plate in front of their respective owners before asking if they needed anything else. Both Jem and Scarlett declined and thanked their waiter before he walked off.

Scarlett had to admit that Jem did have good taste, though. The food was fantastic, cooked to perfection and even the seasoning was precise. She practically inhaled her plate of chicken but she told herself to pace herself. It didn't seem very ladylike to finish before Jem anyways.

Finally, both of them finished off their meals and then fell into an awkward silence. Scarlett was starting to think that Jem had really just wanted to take her out to a nice dinner. The thought that he didn't bring her here to tell her that he had wormed his way out of Fergie's grasp actually disappointed her.

"Hey, you okay?" she heard Jem ask her from across the table. The disappointment must have shown on her face. There was no other reason Jem would be asking her if she was okay.

With a wave of her hand, she brushed off his question. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, yeah," she said quickly.

"Good, good, 'cause I gotta tell you something," Jem said.

Scarlett's breathing hitched in her throat and then she quickly drew in a breath to brace herself for the upcoming conversation. Jem stared back at her, waiting for a response, and she nodded her head to let him know he should continue.

"Okay," Jem said and then drew in a deep breath. "Okay, so, I know you want me to stop with the robbing and stuff – and I'm going to work on it, I swear – but I thought I could promise you that in another way."

Scarlett stared at Jem in confusion. "Okay," she said slowly and then nodded her head tersely.

Without another word, Jem rose from his seat and walked around to Scarlett's side of the table. Scarlett sucked in a deep breath and she felt her heart start to race. When Jem stopped right in front of her, he knelt down on one knee and Scarlett could've sworn she felt her heart stop.

"Jem, what are you doing?" she asked frantically. "What are you doing?"

"Scarlett Katherine McAuley," Jem said as he grabbed her left hand and cradled it in his.

_When the hell did I tell him my middle name!?_ Scarlett thought frantically.

"I'm going to keep all of the promises I've made to you," Jem said huskily. "But I can only do that if you promise _me_ something."

"W-what?" she stuttered nervously.

In response, Jem reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small black box. Scarlett's eyes locked on the black box and they grew wide with shock. Without saying a word, he popped the box open to reveal a stunning diamond encrusted ring. The diamonds sparkled as the light hit it in all the right places.

"Scarlett, will you marry me?" Jem asked. Scarlett sucked in a breath as she tore her eyes away from the ring to look at Jem. He looked pretty pleased with himself and all he was waiting for was a response. But she wasn't going to give him the response he was expecting.

"I'm pregnant," she choked out.

Scarlett saw Jem's jaw drop. She knew it was the wrong time and wrong place to tell him, but if he was asking her to marry him, she figured he had to know that she was carrying his child.

"W-what?" he stuttered.

"I-I'm pregnant," she reiterated.

Jem should've been mad that she decided to drop a bomb like this on him. It wasn't the response he was expecting for his marriage proposal but at the same time, he couldn't quite scold her for saying so. But that sort of thing wasn't something you said in response to a marriage proposal.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she said quickly. "That's why I wasn't drinking and that's why I wolfed down my meal. Hell, that's probably why I couldn't get my dress to zip tonight because my boobs have been really tender as of lately. I only found out this morning. I took a test and I was going to tell you after dinner but I didn't expect you to ask me that!"

"So, you're pregnant?" Jem asked hesitantly.

"If you don't believe me, I can show you the test," she said quietly.

"No, no," he said as he shook his head. It was going to take some time to sink in, but the first thought he had was that he was going to be a dad. He was going to be a dad! But there was just one minor detail…

"Okay," he said. "Fine, but you're not going to upstage me. I want an answer."

"You're not mad?" she asked as she nervously bit her lip. Jem shook his head; a mischievous grin was spreading across his face. "And you want to get married?" Scarlett asked for confirmation.

"No, I'm on one knee and holding a diamond ring because I got a modeling gig with Tiffany's," Jem shot back sarcastically.

"Even after I admitted to you that I'm pregnant, you still want to marry me?" she asked.

Jem sighed. "You know, if you don't want to, just say it, alright?"

"Yes," she breathed.

"What?"

"Yes," she repeated. "Yes, I will marry you."

"You will?" he asked, arching his eyebrow in disbelief.

"Of course, Jem," she said.

A grin spread across Jem's face as he plucked the ring from its velvet box and slipped it on Scarlett's left ring finger. They both jumped up at the same time and embraced before passionately kissing. Like a cliché, the restaurant patrons and staff clapped at the happy moment. Scarlett and Jem broke off the kiss and rested their foreheads against one another's.

"Can we get out of here? I only brought you here to propose to you so now that you've said yes – ."

"I'd _love_ to get out of here," Scarlett purred as she touched the collar of Jem's favorite t-shirt.

Jem smirked before pulling away from Scarlett to flag down their waiter. The man came bounding over to their table and expressed his congratulations before asking what he could do for them. Jem asked for the check and the waiter nodded before running off to ring up their bill.

In the time it took their waiter to ring up the bill, Jem and Scarlett had already gathered up their belongings and waited impatiently by their table. The waiter handed them a black folder and just as he was about to walk off, Jem stopped him, handed him the black folder, and told him to keep the change. With a smile and another congratulations wish from their waiter, Jem and Scarlett thanked him before racing through the restaurant to the front doors.

They ran through the parking lot and reached Jem's car in no time. Jem opened the door for Scarlett so she could climb in and then he raced around the front of the car to climb into the driver's seat. When he slid in, Scarlett turned her head to the side and flashed a grin at him. He returned the gesture before sliding his keys into the ignition and turned the car on. The car purred to life and Jem pulled out of his parking spot so they could head home.

As Jem pulled out onto the main road to head back to Scarlett's townhouse, Scarlett reached over and linked her ring hand with Jem's free hand. She flipped their hands around so she could admire the diamond ring on her finger. As she admired the ring, she could see a smirk forming on Jem's face out of the corner of her eye. It was at that moment Scarlett realized that she had made the best decision of her life.

* * *

**Oh boy, double whammy! Haha, wasn't my note in the beginning of the chapter misleading? I'm such a meanie, but this is better. Way better. Hope you guys will stay tuned!**

**As always, thank you for adding this to your favorites, signing up for alerts, and reviewing. Reviews are very much appreciated and they help motivate me to write so please leave me a lovely review to let me know what you think!**


	17. The Next Job

**Hey everyone! I had this chapter done last night but of course my Internet had to do a disappearing act for a whole day. But fear not, my Internet is back and here is the next chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

**The Next Job**

After that monumental evening when Scarlett accepted his proposal and admitted that she was carrying his child, Jem spent his nights at Scarlett's house. He was there so much that Scarlett even mentioned that he should just live there. Jem had just laughed it off and covered her mouth with his, but he wouldn't officially live with her unless she asked. Until then, Jem would live out of a bag containing a few sets of a change of clothes and his favorite cologne. Anything else he needed, Scarlett had.

Jem had to admit that he stayed at her house with her just in case something happened to her in the middle of the night. If there was an emergency, she wouldn't be all alone. Jem would be there. He couldn't bear to think of her falling ill throughout the night or someone breaking into her house while she was alone. If something happened while she was alone, there would be no guarantee Jem could make it there in time. Therefore, he preferred to just stay at her place.

He knew Scarlett liked it too. When their relationship had been relatively new, he stayed until it was time for her to get ready for bed. Only then would he leave. Now, he knew Scarlett liked having him in the same bed as her every night. He liked waking up to see her smiling to herself and he knew he was the reason.

The worst part of his day was when Scarlett went to work. He always met up with her during her lunch break but about two weeks after their engagement, Scarlett had said she couldn't meet for lunch because she was meeting up with her friends Rachel and Lacey. Jem was disappointed, but he figured this was the way it had to be. He couldn't keep her all to himself, no matter how much he wanted to. So with a quick kiss on the lips, he sent her on her way.

After five minutes of sitting alone in Scarlett's vast and empty townhouse, Jem had grown bored. There was nothing on TV but lame talk shows and cheesy soap operas. Normally when he was really bored, he would raid the cabinets for something to snack on. Though he practically lived with Scarlett now, he didn't think eating every item in her pantry was a smart idea.

To kill a couple minutes, Jem wandered to her back porch to smoke a cigarette. In general, he never really smoked in front of Scarlett and he figured he couldn't do it anymore anyways. Not while Scarlett was pregnant at least. The last thing he wanted was for his kid to come out deformed from secondhand smoke, if that was at all possible.

He finished off his cigarette and headed back into the house. He switched off the TV before snatching his keys off the end table and heading out the front door. As soon as he pulled the door shut behind him, he hoped the spare key for the backdoor was still under the flower pot out back; he realized he didn't have a key to get in the front door. He bounded down the front steps and crossed the street to get into his car.

Sliding into the front seat, Jem shoved the keys into the ignition and turned the car on. He glanced over his shoulder for any incoming traffic before pulling out of the spot and heading down the road. When Jem had stepped out of the house, he wasn't quite sure where he was going to go, but as soon as he headed down the road, he figured now was a good time to talk to Fergie. He was engaged to Scarlett and they would be expecting in nine months. Jem definitely had to sort things out. Not to mention he'd be killing two birds with one stone by going to flower shop; Fergie would surely be able to give him a nice bouquet of roses for free to take home to Scarlett.

When he reached the flower shop, Jem parked in a space directly in front of the shop. He cut the engine and climbed out of his car to head into the shop. As he pushed open the door, a bell from overhead dinged as he waltzed into the shop. He greeted Rusty with a firm handshake and let him know he was here to see Fergie. Rusty called out to the back of the shop and Fergie appeared from around the corner with an arrangement of peonies in his hands.

"Ferg," Jem said with a nod.

"Coughlin, was gonna call you in a few. Got something important to talk to you about," Fergie said as he set the flower arrangement on the counter.

"Oh yeah," Jem said as he strolled over to the other counter and plucked a petal from a bouquet of pansies.

"Got another job," Fergie said with a sly grin as he leaned up against the counter.

Even though Jem looked calm on the outside, he was screaming on the inside. This was not how he wanted this conversation to go. This wasn't how he _expected_ this conversation to go. Even though this was the last thing he wanted to talk to Fergie about, Jem turned around anyways to face his boss.

"Oh yeah? What is it? A bank? A truck?" Jem asked.

"No," Fergie drawled as he shook his head slowly. "Bigger than that."

Forgetting about his fiancée and his unborn child, Jem was suddenly pulled back in. He was intrigued. He was interested. And he wanted to know more. "How big are we talking?" Jem asked.

"I'm talking millions," Fergie said. "I'm talking Fenway."

Jem could feel his jaw drop the moment the words left Fergie's mouth. The man was crazy, absolutely fucking crazy. But was it crazy enough that it just might work?

"Alright," Jem said. "Does Dougie know?"

"Not yet," Fergie said as he picked up a bouquet of roses and started the trim the thorns off of the stems. "That's what I need you for. Talk some sense into him."

Jem rolled his eyes. "You know he's not going to listen to me."

"He will," Fergie said. "It won't work at first, but he'll do this."

Jem rolled his eyes again. Doug had been especially ignorant and a pain in the ass as of lately. There was no way he'd listen to Jem. No one ever listened to Jem, except for Scarlett, but she was a different story.

"Whatever. I'll call him up and have him meet me," Jem said. "By the way, can you give me a small bouquet of roses?"

Fergie froze as he was in the middle of cutting off another thorn. He raised his head and his old, tired eyes bore into Jem's blue-grey ones. "What do you need them for?" he questioned.

"They're for my parents' graves. I was thinking of swinging by the cemetery," Jem lied. As far as Jem knew, Fergie didn't know about Scarlett. If he did, he apparently didn't have a problem with them together. Jem hadn't told anyone about their engagement or Scarlett carrying his child so there was no reason for Fergie to have a grudge against Scarlett other than being with one of his best criminals.

But Jem knew Fergie saw right through him. Jem visited his parents' graves but not very often, and when he did, he rarely brought flowers.

"Are they for that girl, Coughlin?" Fergie asked.

Jem shrugged his shoulders. "Which one? There are a lot of them."

"You and I both know that I know about you and that little blonde who bailed you out of jail from the last job," Fergie said icily as he narrowed his eyes to slits.

"So what?" Jem snapped.

Jem knew he was digging himself into a hole that he wasn't going to be able to get out. Fergie knew everything. Jem was stupid to think that he wouldn't find out about him and Scarlett.

"You're too attached, Coughlin," Fergie said as he resumed cutting the thorns off of the roses. "Bringing flowers to her. Taking her on yacht dates. Asking her to marry you."

Jem felt his blood run cold. _Stupid, Coughlin! You're so fucking stupid! Of course he'd find out! He always does_, Jem thought to himself.

"Thought I wouldn't find out, did you?" Fergie said. "Well, I always do. You know that. I'm just telling you. You're too attached and I can't have that. I need your head in this next job. Understand?"

"Yeah," Jem growled. He was pissed. He wasn't angry that he and Scarlett had been found out. He was angry that Fergie had the nerve to tell him he was too attached. So what if Jem was too attached? That wouldn't affect how he performed during the job. Sure he and the guys had barely made it out of the last job, but that didn't mean Jem's attachment to Scarlett had caused it. As much as Jem hated to admit it, he was barely thinking about Scarlett during that job. He had just wanted to get the money and get out.

Fergie finished cutting off the thorns of the rose he had been working on and set it on top of the small pile. He gathered them up and arranged them neatly before reaching under the counter to grab a piece of ribbon. He wound the thin material around the small bouquet and then handed the bouquet to Jem. Gingerly, Jem wrapped his fingers around the stems and looked up at Fergie. The florist gave him a smug smile before waving him off, letting him know the conversation was over.

Without saying goodbye to either Fergie or Rusty, Jem stomped out of the flower shop and slid into his car to head to his apartment. The conversation with Fergie had sent him over the edge and Jem needed to be prepared in case he came after him in the dead of the night.

* * *

Jem was slowly pacing on the edge of the fenced in cemetery when Doug came strolling towards him. The sky had gotten unusually cloudy after Jem swung by his apartment and picked up a couple things. As he was shoving some clothing into another bag, he quickly called Doug and asked him to meet at the cemetery where his parents were buried. Jem knew he sounded cryptic and Jem knew Doug could sense it too, but Doug agreed anyways.

Without even saying goodbye, Doug hung up the phone and Jem continued to pack up his belongings before heading out of the apartment. He dropped off his bag in the car before making the short walk to the cemetery around the corner. He had made it there in less than five minutes and had only been pacing for two minutes before Doug had showed up. When he noticed his childhood friend walking towards him, he ceased the pacing and firmly planted his feet on the ground.

"Something wrong with the apartment?" Doug asked as he sauntered up to Jem.

Jem shook his head. "No. Florist," he mumbled.

Doug stopped dead in his tracks. "Florist, what?"

"Came through," Jem said matter-of-factly.

"Oh Jesus Christ!" Doug hissed.

"It's large, Dougie. It's large."

Doug turned to Jem, fire practically burning in his eyes. "We're smoked. Punt it. Look, pick up an extra guy, all right? Or go with three guys. Or fucking be smart and boot it."

"Oh so you're not going?" Jem asked sarcastically.

"No," the taller man shot back.

"And why's that?"

"Because we've got a ton of fucking heat on us, for one thing," Doug snapped.

"We'll put a move on. We've done it a hundred times before."

Doug shook his head and scoffed. He waved a hand in the air as he started to pace past Jem. "You know what, forget it. Do what you want to do. I'm done."

"What?" Jem snapped.

"I'm done."

"What? You're done?"

"What does it sound like?"

"I don't know. What's that mean?" Jem asked, furrowing his brow in confusion.

"What the fuck do you think it means?"

"What does that mean?" Jem questioned sarcastically. "Sound like a bunch of fucking bullshit."

Doug stared down Jem before calming himself. "Let me put it to you this way. I'm putting this whole fucking town in my rear-view."

"There's people I can't let you walk away from," Jem shot back.

"What? Who?" Doug asked, genuinely confused.

"Come on," Jem coaxed. Jem watched as he saw Doug realize what he meant. In actuality, Jem meant himself. He couldn't give a shit about Krista. Of course he cared about Shyne because she was his niece but there was nothing Jem could do for her. Krista was her mother. That alone was well out of Jem's control.

But what Jem really wanted Doug to get out of this was that Jem didn't want Doug to walk away from him. For the first time in Jem's life, he finally had things going the way he wanted them to. He had a fiancée who loved him even with all of his imperfections and they were going to have a baby together. Jem wanted Doug around for that because he knew Doug would be happy for him, happy that he'd finally turned things around.

However, this new job was tempting. Jem had promised Scarlett he would end this criminal lifestyle, but at the same time, this job would have him set for life. He would be able to help Scarlett pay off her student loans and he'd spoil their child with whatever their little heart desired. He couldn't do this job without Doug. He needed Doug to stick around.

"Are you serious, Jimmy? She's not my kid," Doug hissed, clearly referring to Shyne. "Did she tell you it was? I mean, cut the f – cut it out. All you give a fuck about is coke and Xbox, now you're trying to play it off like you care about Shyne? Come on now."

Now Jem was getting pissed. He laughed off Doug's speech and glared at him. "Know what your problem is? You think you're better than people. Mr. Fucking-Clean. Mr. Fucking-Goddamn-High-And-Mighty."

"Yep, I'm better than all these people. I'm better than everybody," Doug shot back sarcastically.

"But you grew up right here!" Jem snapped as he pointed to the ground. "Same rules that I did!"

Who the fuck you think you are?" Doug hissed. "You aren't letting me or not letting me do shit, all right? Here's a little fucking cheat sheet for you. It's never gonna be me and you and your sister and Shyne fucking playing house up there! All right? You got it? Get that in your fucking head! I'm tired of your one-way fucking bull-shit! If you wanna see me again, come down and visit me in Florida!"

That sent Jem over the edge. He pulled his arm back before snapping it forward to connect with the side of Doug's face. The taller man swayed to the side before regaining his composure and grabbing Jem. The two men wrestled with each other, grabbing at each other's clothing and swinging at each other without causing any harm.

As they continued to wrestle, Jem reached behind him and pulled out the gun he had shoved into the back of his jeans. He swung his arm around and smacked Doug in the face with the barrel of the gun, causing him to go crashing to the ground. The taller man landed on his butt and crashed into the cemetery fence, breathing heavily and panting through his mouth. Jem glanced at him before stepping forward and resting his arms at the top of the fence. He stared off into the distance for a couple seconds before crouching down, still facing the fence.

"In the 302," Jem muttered. "Feds have me dropping Brendan right here." Jem glanced over at Doug and he saw his childhood friend's eyes staring right back at him. "I got him back on Tibbetts," Jem continued. "Fucking guy ran 100 yards with a bullet in his heart, Dougie. I mean, the fucking guy should've ran track. You know what I'm saying?" Jem finished off his speech with a chuckle as he bowed his head and looked at the ground, still gripping the gun tightly in his hand.

"I didn't ask you to do that," Doug said softly.

"Yeah, well, you didn't have to, Dougie. Come on," Jem said. "They told me Brendan Lahey was coming down here to roll up on you with a Glock 21. So I came over here and I put him in the fucking ground. Did nine years for it."

There was an eerie silence between the two childhood friends as they stared at each other. It was the first time they'd ever really mentioned the shooting. It wasn't something they normally talked about in casual conversation. But given the fact that they were in the exact place Jem's murder victim had been discovered, it seemed appropriate to bring it up. At least in Jem's eyes it did.

"Now you don't gotta thank me," Jem said. "But you're not walking away."

"I'm grateful for everything you done for me," Doug said sincerely. "Your family took me in when my father went away. You're like a brother to me." Doug paused as he saw the sad look in Jem's eye. It wasn't something Doug saw often, but Doug knew Jem too well. The guy wasn't one for showing his emotions but Doug could tell he was hurt. "But I'm leaving," Doug continued. "Gonna shoot me? Go ahead. But you're gonna have to shoot me in the back."

With that, Doug stood up from the ground with a grunt and walked away without looking back.

* * *

When Scarlett returned home after work, she dropped her bag by the door and shed her jacket as she headed down the hall to the kitchen.

"Jem!" she announced as she rolled up the sleeves of her button-down shirt. "You home, baby?"

Scarlett stepped into the kitchen and was met with silence. She shrugged her shoulders and figured Jem must have gone out with the guys since she had lunch with her friends today. It was strange coming home to an empty house. For the past two weeks, Jem was almost always home when she came home from work and she liked that she had someone to crash on the couch and relax with for a couple of minutes before she had to get back on her feet and make something for dinner.

Since Jem wasn't here, Scarlett got straight to work with making herself something for dinner. As of recently, the pregnancy cravings had been hitting her hard. Currently, she wasn't craving chocolate or sweets, but her appetite had definitely changed. Chicken, which used to be her least favorite meat, was now on the top of her list.

Cooking dinner was a tedious task and most of the time, she didn't get to eat dinner until 6:30 or 7:00 when it was finally ready. But when it was ready, she practically inhaled it. She finished cooking her dinner around 6:30 and dumped her food onto a plate before heading to the kitchen table to enjoy her meal.

As she savored the sweet flavors of her meal, she looked over a couple of documents she had brought home for work. Her eyes scanned over the papers as she spooned bits of rice into her mouth. She was so distracted with the papers in her hand and the meal in front of her that she almost didn't hear the muffled ring of her cell phone coming from the front pocket of her purse beside the front door. She dropped her spoon – letting it clatter as it hit the plate – and sprinted to the front door. She scrambled as she yanked her phone from its pocket to find Jem's name flashing across the screen.

She smiled to herself as she slid her finger across the screen to answer the call. "Hey baby," she said with a grin as she headed back into the kitchen.

"Umm, hey Scarlett," said a familiar voice from the other end that wasn't Jem's. "Umm, it's Gloansy."

"Oh, hi," Scarlett said as she sat back down at the kitchen table, feeling a dark blush creeping up on her cheeks from the embarrassment of answering the phone the way she did.

"Umm, sorry to call you on Jem's phone but that's the only way I knew you'd answer," Gloansy said.

"Oh, no, it's okay," Scarlett said as she shook her head. "Is everything alright?"

"Umm, not really," Gloansy said. At that moment, Scarlett heard a loud crash in the background, followed by the sound of angry voices. Above them all, she could hear one distinct voice.

"What's going on?" Scarlett asked.

"I didn't know who else to call. Maybe you can talk some sense into him. He's been drinking a lot," Gloansy said.

"You guys at the usual bar?" Scarlett asked. She was on her feet and heading to the front door in seconds.

"Yeah," Gloansy said. There was another crash in the background and Gloansy said suddenly, "And hurry!"

With that, Scarlett hung up the phone without a goodbye as she grabbed her car keys and her wallet containing her driver's license and headed out the front door. She was in her car, turning the ignition on, and pulling out of her parking space in seconds as she barreled down the road towards Charlestown.

Her thoughts ran a million miles per second as she floored it to the bar in Charlestown. Jem had been on his best behavior the past few weeks. When he drank, he knew when to cut himself off. But now, Scarlett wondered what set him off to get him to drink so much.

Scarlett was pulling up in front of the bar before she knew it. Luckily, there was a spot right out front and pulled in. She yanked her keys from the ignition and climbed out of the car, jogging into the bar to find it in complete disarray. Tables were turned over and there were glass bottles shattered all over the floor. There were puddles of alcohol in certain spots on the hardwood floor and Scarlett carefully stepped around them.

In the corner of the bar, Scarlett could see a crowd gathered and two angry voices rose above the rest. Scarlett sprinted to the crowd and pushed her way through to see Jem shouting at another bar patron. There was blood running down the side of Jem's face from a cut above his eyebrow but other than that, he was fine. As for the other bar patron, he was fucked up with several cuts and bruises peppered on his face and body. But even though he most likely couldn't see out of his right eye, he was still standing up and willing to take on Jem.

The two men were screaming at each other and Scarlett was trying to understand exactly what they were saying. No doubt both of them were drunk so they were slurring their words and stumbling over what to say. The entire argument sounded like gibberish to Scarlett.

When Jem picked up another beer bottle and smashed it on the edge of a table to use as a weapon, that's when Scarlett decided to step in. She cautiously stepped forward, gently putting a hand on Jem's forearm. He jumped at the contact, swinging the beer bottle around to use in defense, before dropping it out of shock of seeing Scarlett.

"Baby, w-what are you doing here?" Jem slurred.

"How about we head home, hmm?" she asked as she gently patted his forearm.

"Hey, stay out of this ho," the other bar patron snapped. "We're not finished here!"

"What'd you just call my fiancée?" Jem hissed.

"Jem, no, it's fine. He's drunk. He doesn't mean it," Scarlett said softly in hopes of reeling him back to her.

"No," Jem said as he lightly shoved Scarlett out of his way. Scarlett rolled her eyes and then roughly grabbed Jem's arm to yank him back to her. She shoved him in the chest as she stepped forward and approached the bar patron. She stared the man down as he swayed back and forth on his own two feet.

"You want to say that again to my face, dick," Scarlett spat.

"Look sweet cheeks, this is a man's fight, so why don't you - ." In an instant, the man was lying flat on the floor as Scarlett bounced up and down, shaking the pain from her hand. She'd never actually thrown a punch before but for her first time, the guy was flat on the floor and knocked unconscious. With the exception of the pain in her hand, she would call this a success.

Turning on her heel, she stomped back to Jem and grabbed him by the arm to pull him through the crowd. They broke free from the crowd and found Gloansy and Dez on the outskirts, waiting for them.

"You sure you can handle him?" Gloansy asked.

"Yeah, I got it," Scarlett mumbled as she flexed her fingers to see if anything was broken.

"You sure?" Dez chimed in. "Because Jem told us that you're…umm, you're…"

"I'm pregnant, not handicapped, dipshits," she snapped, and with that she tugged Jem out of the bar and to her car. She left at the passenger side door and ordered that he get in while she rounded the front of the car to slide into the driver's side.

When Jem had finally stumbled into the front seat and she ordered him to buckle up. Jem did as he was told and when he was strapped in safely, Scarlett reached in front of him and opened the glove compartment to pull out a couple napkins. She chucked them on Jem's lap and mumbled to clean up his face before pulling out of her parking spot and headed back to her townhouse.

The ride back to East Cambridge was a silent one. Jem knew he was in trouble so he stayed quiet as he mopped up to blood from his face. Even though she was angry with him, Scarlett still glanced at him out of her corner of her eye every so often to make sure Jem was still conscious. The last thing she wanted was her fiancé and the father of her child to pass out from alcohol poisoning.

She reached her townhouse in record time and pulled into a space before cutting the ignition and climbing out of the car. She rounded the front of the car and reached the passenger side to help Jem climb out of the car. Jem stumbled out of the car and Scarlett helped him stand upright before slamming the car door and helping him up the front steps. She let go of him for one second to unlock the front door. When the door popped open, she grabbed a hold of Jem's arm and helped him over the threshold and into the living room.

Once Jem was situated on the couch, Scarlett rushed back over to the front door and shut it. She locked the door as well as the deadbolt before heading back into the living room. Jem was sprawled out on the couch and if it weren't for his heavy breathing, Scarlett would've thought he was dead. Quietly, she knelt down next to the couch and ran her fingers through Jem's short hair as he groaned with pleasure.

"Jem, what's wrong?" she asked softly.

Jem grunted as he shifted on the couch. "I got you flowers and I forgot them in my car," he groaned.

"And that's why you got into a bar fight?" she asked.

She saw him shake his head in the darkness of the living room. His eyes rolled shut but he let out a sigh as Scarlett continued to run her fingers through his hair. "I tried, baby," he mumbled. "I really tried."

"You tried what?" she asked.

Jem sighed and then opened his eyes to look at Scarlett. Even in the darkness of the room, Scarlett could clearly make out those blue-grey eyes. "I tried to stop it," he said. "I tried to stop everything."

"You're not making sense, Jem," she said as she shook her head.

"Fergie," Jem said bluntly. "He doesn't like me and you. Us. Together." Scarlett nodded her head. In all honesty, she didn't expect Fergie to like her and Jem together. Then again, Scarlett didn't care if people didn't like her and Jem together.

"So he has another job too," Jem said.

Scarlett's breathing caught in her throat at Jem's confession. She didn't want him to continue this lifestyle, especially if someone didn't like her and Jem together. It was almost as if Fergie was trying to tear them apart.

"You know what, just tell me in the morning, okay?" Scarlett said. She'd heard enough. Jem liked to lie to her, but now that he'd confessed this, there was no way he could get out of this now. When he sobered up tomorrow morning, she was going to ask him questions and she was going to get some answers whether he liked it or not.

"Okay," Jem agreed. Scarlett stood up and reached forward to pull the blanket off of the back of the couch and drape it over Jem's body. Jem squirmed underneath the warmth of the blanket and rolled over onto his side. Scarlett watched him for a couple seconds before turning to walk away. She felt Jem reach out for her hand and she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Stay here, sweetheart" he slurred innocently. Scarlett could tell there were two sides of Drunk Jem. There was either the Drunk Jem who was incredibly violent or there was the side that was adorable and innocent. Scarlett was just glad she got the adorable and innocent side and not the violent one.

Scarlett nodded and she lifted up the blanket to climb in. Jem scooted backwards to make more room for her and she lied down and snuggled up against Jem's chest. She felt his arm wrap around her waist and moments later, Jem's breathing slowed to a steady pace as he drifted off to sleep.

Scarlett knew she'd regret this in the morning, mostly because she'd be puking up her guts from morning sickness. Jem will most likely reek of alcohol which would not help her case at all. In fact, it might make it worse. But for the moment, Scarlett buried her face in Jem's chest and let sleep overtake her.

* * *

**Uh oh, things are happening. The Fenway job is coming up soon. We've got a few chapters to go until we find out how it's going to go down. Until then, how do you think Scarlett will take the news? Stay tuned.**

**As always, thank you for adding this to your favorites, signing up for alerts, and reviewing. Reviews are very much appreciated and they help motivate me to write so please leave me a lovely review to let me know what you think!**


	18. Falling Apart

**Hey everyone! I've got the next chapter here for you! Be lucky you're actually getting a chapter because I have a headache that makes it seem like my head is going to explode. Grrrr! Anyways, Scarlett will finally confront Jem about the next job (which is the Fenway job) and things may or may not go well. Also, we'll see Krista again. Hope you like it! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Falling Apart**

The throbbing in his head was what woke Jem up the next morning. With a groan, he rolled over onto his side and pulled the blanket that was on top of his body over his head to shut out the light coming in through the window. Jem couldn't remember the last time he'd actually drank this much, though he could remember the reason why he drank that much. His conversation with Doug didn't go over so well, and add the fact that Fergie practically wanted him to end things with Scarlett on top of that.

_Scarlett_.

Despite the pounding in his head, Jem sat bolt upright on the couch and looked around wildly. He was in Scarlett's living room, but the woman in question was nowhere to be found. He pushed the blanket off of his body and swung his legs over the edge of the couch. He felt all of the blood rush to his head and he moaned in pain as he cradled his head in his hands.

"A little hungover?" he heard Scarlett ask. He lifted his head carefully to find Scarlett leaning against the doorframe with two mugs in her hands. They kept their gazes locked on one another before Scarlett stepped towards Jem. She handed him one of the mugs and then took a seat next to Jem on the couch.

Scarlett eyed Jem out of the corner of her eye as she sipped her tea. She wanted to get straight to the point. She wanted to know about this new job, but she figured she'd give him a chance to wake up and let his hangover subside a bit before she started questioning him.

"How's that hangover treating you?" Scarlett asked.

Jem took a sip of his coffee as he groaned. "Like shit," he said as he set the mug on the coffee table and cradled his head in his hands. "Fuck, this sucks."

Scarlett didn't respond. Instead, she just leaned backwards on the couch and sipped her tea. She didn't want to seem selfish but she wanted Jem to notice that something was bugging her. He had screwed things up last night. Scarlett knew Jem wouldn't be able to let go of his old ways but letting it happen in full force last night had angered Scarlett. All she wanted to do now was find out about this new job and then scream at him for it.

"Well, go on. Say it," Jem grumbled.

"Hmmm?" Scarlett hummed as she sipped her tea.

"I know you're pissed at me so just let it all out," Jem grumbled.

Scarlett rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'm kind of pissed at you, but you have a lot of explaining to do."

"I don't get it," Jem growled as he rubbed his temples with his fingers.

Scarlett figured he wouldn't remember admitting that there was a new job coming up. Leave it up to Jem to not tell her the whole truth. "Oh, so there isn't another job coming up?" she asked condescendingly.

Jem froze, his fingers still pressed into his temples and his head bowed. He was staring blankly into the floor and he was genuinely afraid to turn around and meet Scarlett's gaze. This was the first time in his life he actually regretted getting shit-faced drunk because it was potentially going to ruin his relationship with Scarlett.

But the damage was already done. He'd admitted that there was another job, and now he had to tell her. She knew and she wasn't going to let it go.

"Yeah, there's another job coming up," he admitted.

He heard Scarlett scoff from behind him. Of course she would be disappointed in him. He did promise to end this criminal lifestyle of his. But he had to admit that the thought of nabbing millions of dollars in cash enticed him. He'd be set for life. He and Scarlett would be set for life. Their child would be set for life.

Hesitantly, he turned around to meet Scarlett's gaze; he was met with a piercing glare. "Look, it's the last one, alright?" he said.

"You've got to be shitting me," she snapped, her native Boston-accent slipping in. That's when Jem knew he was in for a bumpy ride. Her accent only slipped back in when she was pissed. And if it was making an appearance this early into the conversation, clearly this wasn't going to go well.

"It's the last one. I swear," Jem said as he twisted his body so he could completely face her. "We're done after this. Not just me, but all of us."

Scarlett scoffed again as she shook her head in disbelief. "Un-fucking-believable."

"Look, Scar, this will set us up for the rest of our lives," Jem pleaded. "We're going to come out of this with millions."

Scarlett shook her head again. "You don't get it, do you Jem?" she snapped. "When are you going to understand that I could care less about your financial situation? Hell, I could care less about mine. I care more about other people getting hurt or _you_ getting hurt. I think it would hurt me even more to see you go back to Walpole."

"We know what we're doing," Jem said. "We've done it loads of times. This may be Fenway we're talking about but - ."

"What did you just say?" Scarlett interjected with clenched teeth.

_Oh shit_, Jem thought to himself. He felt his heart start to race as her ice cold glare bore into his blue-grey eyes. He knew he was in for it now. There was no escaping this.

"Get…the fuck…out of…my house," she said slowly and calmly.

"What?" he asked.

Scarlett didn't respond as she stood up from the couch and walked out of the living room. She stomped up the stairs and disappeared from Jem's view. He listened intently for any sounds that seemed out of the ordinary, but all he heard was silence.

He knew it was a bad idea, but he rose from the couch and headed towards the stairs. He knew he'd hurt her, but the last thing he wanted was to leave without finding out if she was okay. As much as he knew she wouldn't want it, he needed to check on her before he left. Personally, Jem just needed to know that she was slightly okay before he left.

He headed out into the hallway and made it to the bottom of the stairs just in time to duck out of the way as something came whizzing by his head. He ducked as he heard the object land with a _thud_ behind him. Cautiously, he glanced behind him to find his duffle bag lying on the floor. He arched an eyebrow at the object before whipping around to find Scarlett standing at the top of the stairs.

"And don't even think about coming to the appointment on Monday because I don't fucking want you there," Scarlett snapped as she folded her arms across her chest.

"What fucking appointment?" Jem snapped.

Scarlett scoffed again as she shook her head. "The appointment with the doctor for the baby!" she shouted. "The Post-It note has been on the fucking fridge for the past week!"

Jem tried to rack his brain for any sort of information on this appointment, but he couldn't quite remember reading a Post-It note about it in the past. But now that Scarlett told him that she didn't want him there, Jem figured there was no point in remembering it anyways.

"Whatever, I'm fucking leaving," Jem grumbled as he turned on his heel, picked up his bag, and headed towards the door. He didn't even look back at Scarlett as he opened the front door and slammed it on his way out. He knew he would regret it in the long run, but if she wanted him out, Jem was going to comply. The last thing he wanted was to lose his temper around the one person he really truly loved because if he did, he knew he would never be able to forgive himself. So walking away from Scarlett seemed like the only rational choice, even though Jem absolutely hated it.

* * *

It had been an hour after Jem left when Scarlett decided she needed to clear her head. She changed her clothes into a pair of black running leggings and a t-shirt before heading downstairs to find her sneakers. She grabbed them and slipped them onto her feet before heading out the door.

She bounded down the front steps and started to jog down the street. She kept a steady pace as she rounded the corner and jogged to the nearest park. But when she remembered that night she went to the bar with Jem and then hung out in the park afterwards, she immediately nixed that idea and continued to jog without a destination.

Even though going for a jog usually cleared her mind, it didn't seem to work today. All she could seem to think about was her argument with Jem and the fact that he was willingly going to put himself in danger yet again. Robbing Fenway would be suicide. Security is tight and there would be no way they'd be able to worm their way in, take a bunch of cash, and slip out unnoticed. There was just no way!

Scarlett shook her head and quickened her pace to a run. It was almost as if she was trying to run away from her thoughts but she knew there was no possible way. This would haunt her forever, whether she and Jem reconciled or not.

Suddenly, the thought of not reconciling with Jem washed over Scarlett. If she and Jem didn't reconcile, that meant she'd raise this child – _their_ child – alone. That was the last thing she'd wanted. When she'd told Jem she was pregnant, he had actually been happy, even excited. He cared so much for both her and the baby's safety that he had started staying at her house full time. She had been convinced he was going to be with her for all of it, but now, she wasn't so sure.

As she rounded another corner, she felt tears sting at the corners of her eyes. Quickly, she swatted at a stray tear that had begun to roll down her cheek and she took a deep breath to power through the rest of her jog. She wasn't going to let Jem Coughlin get to her. She wasn't going to let him take a swing at her emotions. If he wanted to be this way, that was fine with her. She wasn't going to let him win this one.

She turned another corner and almost instantly she felt her stomach do a somersault. She slowed her pace to a light jog, figuring it was just a side effect of her roller coaster emotions. But when she felt her stomach churn once again, she twisted her wrist around to check the time on her watch. Like clockwork, it was around the time her morning sickness was acting up.

She slowed to a stop and felt her stomach churn violently. She quickly ran over to a tree and braced herself against it as she felt the bile rise in her throat. She threw up the contents of her stomach and then wiped her mouth on the sleeve of her jogging jacket. She pushed away from the tree and stood upright to see a little boy standing on the edge of a playground several feet away, staring at her. His mouth was hanging open and he was staring at Scarlett like he'd never seen someone throw up before.

"What the fuck are you looking at?" she snapped at the little boy. The little boy scampered away and disappeared into the crowd of children playing on the playground.

With a sigh, Scarlett leaned against the tree and cupped a hand over her forehead. _Well, you're going to be a wonderful mother judging by the way you just scared off that kid_, she thought to herself. _Yeah, fantastic._

With a couple deep breaths, she gathered up enough energy to push away from the tree and walk back to her townhouse. She'd had enough for the day. Mentally, physically, and emotionally, she was drained. As she walked back to her townhouse, the only thing she could think of was that a nice hot shower sounded like a good idea.

* * *

When Monday morning rolled around, all Jem could think about was that doctor's appointment. To be completely honest, Jem actually did remember reading the Post-It note on the fridge. It was bright yellow and the message was written in Scarlett's tidy scrawl. _Appt. with Dr. Nina Clark, Monday, 2:30_, it had read. Ironically, this was the same doctor Krista had when she was pregnant with Shyne so maybe that was why the message had stuck.

But Jem had to admit that the message stuck with him because it was for Scarlett and for their kid. As the minutes ticked by on Monday, Jem struggled with possibly showing up at the doctor's appointment anyways. Even though Scarlett admitted she didn't want him there, the wound from Saturday's argument was still fresh. He wasn't sure if showing up at the doctor's office when he was unwanted was appropriate.

Instead, Jem sat on the couch in his living room, flipping through the channels on his TV, to pass the time. Like most things he did, he would probably leave his decision to the last second. If he decided to go, he'd have to high-tail it to the doctor's office to make it in time. If not, he could risk permanently damaging his relationship with Scarlett. He had to admit that he shuddered to think about the latter.

Jem was jerked from his thoughts when he heard the door to the apartment slam shut and Krista strolled into the living room with Shyne on her hip. As skanky and lazy as his sister was, Jem had to admit he did love her. And Shyne was no exception either. They were blood. They were family.

"What's your fucking problem?" Krista spat as she plopped down in the arm chair across from the couch.

And it was moments like this when Krista opened her mouth that reminded Jem that he generally couldn't stand his sister. "None of your fucking business, Krista," Jem shot back.

"You've been depressed all weekend," Krista said. "Scarlett finally realize she can do better than you and kick you to the curb?"

"Not exactly," Jem snapped.

"Holy shit!" Krista exclaimed. "I was right? Did she dump you? Good for her. She seriously can do so much better than you."

"Will you shut the fuck up?" Jem snapped.

"I want _all_ the details," Krista begged as she scooted forward on the arm chair.

"She didn't dump me, dipshit," Jem snarled.

"Well then why are your panties all in a twist?" Krista asked.

Jem hadn't told Krista or Doug about him and Scarlett. The past few weeks, Jem had practically been living in his own little world with Scarlett. With the exception of the day he dropped by the florist's then met up with Doug afterwards, he'd been with Scarlett all the time. He hadn't told anyone about Scarlett being pregnant and that they were engaged. But since Doug was MIA most of the time, Krista seemed to be the only who actually gave a shit at the moment, even if it was for her own personal entertainment.

"Me and Scarlett are engaged and I knocked her up, but she kicked me out of her house because of the Fenway job and she told me to not come to the first doctor's appointment, which is today, in a half hour," Jem said, the words falling out of his mouth like vomit.

For a couple seconds, Krista stared back at him blankly, only blinking since it was necessary. After those first couple of seconds, a smile spread across her face and then she was laughing. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed. "Oh my fucking God!"

"If you're going to come in here and judge me, you can just get the fuck out right now," Jem said. "I didn't judge you when you came to me after you got knocked up so you can just shut your fucking mouth right now."

"Oh my God, no!" Krista exclaimed as she wiped tears from her eyes. "When a girl says she doesn't want you at the appointment, she actually wants you at the appointment. She's fucking testing you, Jem. God, that girl is good."

Jem narrowed his eyes to slits as he stared down Krista. She was wiping her face clean of the tears that had streamed down her face from laughing so hard.

"You're an idiot," Jem said finally. "She doesn't want me there. She said so."

"No," Krista said as she shook her head. "She wants you there. Trust me. Oh my God, I'm glad you guys are getting married. She'll be a great addition to the family. She played you good."

"So…" Jem trailed off, trying to find the right thing to say. "I should go to the appointment."

"Oh my God, get your ass in the fucking car and get there before she seriously rips you a new one!" Krista shouted.

Jem rose from the couch and rushed to the apartment door. He swiped his keys from the table key hook on the wall and yanked open the door when he heard Krista calling out to him from the living room. He turned back to the doorway to find her standing there with Shyne balanced on her hip.

"Hey, so maybe you can put in a good word for me about the wedding? Maybe she'll make me a bridesmaid or something. And maybe Shyne could be a flower girl. I did just save your relationship," Krista suggested.

"Get the fuck out of my house, Krista," Jem snapped as he stepped out of the apartment and slammed the door behind him.

* * *

Scarlett stared at the four bleak walls of the examination room as Dr. Clark prepared the ultrasound machine. The first ten minutes of the appointment had been basic questions about Scarlett's habits and her symptoms since becoming pregnant. Scarlett had answered as truthfully and honestly as she possibly could, but she couldn't help but think if there were any right or wrong answers to the questions she'd been asked.

"Okay Scarlett, I'm going to ask you to lie back and lift up your shirt for me," Dr. Clark said.

Nervously, Scarlett nodded and she leaned back onto the examination table and lifted her shirt. She kept her eyes fixated on the ceiling as she waited for further instruction. She just wanted to see her blob of a baby and make sure everything was fine then get out of there. She had to admit that she would much rather go back to work than take the rest of the day off like her boss had advised her.

"Okay, now this will feel a little cold…" Dr. Clark trailed off as she squirted a blue gel onto Scarlett's stomach. Scarlett gasped at the cool sensation but instantly relaxed once she got used to the feeling.

Without saying anything else, Dr. Clark grabbed the ultrasound device and pulled it over to the examination table. She rubbed the device across Scarlett's stomach, smearing the gel around as she went. She moved the device around a couple more times before the door to the room burst open and Jem came stumbling in, slightly out of breath.

"I'm sorry, can I help you?" Dr. Clark asked, irritation dripping in her voice.

"I'm…with her," Jem said breathlessly as he pointed to Scarlett.

Dr. Clark turned to Scarlett and arched an eyebrow at her, as if she disapproved of Jem. "I'm sorry but do you know him?" she asked.

Scarlett's eyes didn't meet Dr. Clark's because they were glued to Jem. The last time they had seen each other, things had been said, things she had regretted. Most importantly, she had regretted telling him he wasn't allowed to come to the appointment, and yet, here he was. The fact that he came to the appointment, even after she told him not to, made tears well up in her eyes.

"He's the dad," Scarlett choked out.

Dr. Clark nodded in understanding and then gestured to an empty chair to let Jem know he should sit down. Dr. Clark turned back to the ultrasound machine as Jem dragged a chair across the floor and pulled it up to the table. He sat down in the chair and grabbed Scarlett's hand with his. He felt her fingers lace through his and everything felt like it was falling back into place.

"You came," she choked out as a tear rolled down her face.

"I have to admit that Krista helped me figure out your code. When you said you didn't want me here, you actually did want me here. I spent the whole weekend sitting at my apartment, thinking about you," Jem said.

Scarlett giggled nervously as she swiped at the tears rolling down her cheeks. "No you didn't," she choked out with a laugh.

"Yeah, I did," Jem shot back. "Krista said I looked depressed which is a big deal for me."

"It kind of is," Scarlett giggled nervously.

"Sorry to interrupt this reunion," Dr. Clark interjected. "But do you guys want to see your baby?" Both Scarlett and Jem turned their attention to the screen to see a small circular dot. "Your baby's not very big and it's too early to detect a heartbeat, but that small circle right there," Dr. Clark said as she pointed to the screen. "That's your baby."

It wasn't much to look at but that was how Scarlett knew there was actually a baby growing in her stomach. It was actual proof that this was real. Without saying a word, Dr. Clark reached forward and pressed a button on the machine. The machine spit out a picture and Dr. Clark reached forward to retrieve it and hand it to Scarlett.

Scarlett took the picture and admired it before she turned her attention back to Dr. Clark. She handed Scarlett a wad of tissues to wipe the gel off of her stomach and then stood up from her chair. "I'll give you two some alone time, but everything looks fine," Dr. Clark said. "I'll leave your folder out at the front desk. Just head out there when you're ready."

Dr. Clark headed towards the door but stopped just before she stepped out into the hallway. She turned around to face Jem and Scarlett with a smile on her face. "And congratulations, you two," she said. With that, she shut the door behind her, leaving Jem and Scarlett in the examination room, alone.

Without saying a word to Jem, Scarlett sat upright and began to wipe the gel off of her stomach. When her stomach was clean, she held the picture up to admire the human being that was currently growing inside of her.

"It's so small," she whispered as she felt Jem rest his chin on her shoulder.

"It's like the size of an M&M," Jem added.

"Who's the pregnant one here? Because seriously, leave it up to you to think about food when looking at our child," Scarlett joked as she turned to face Jem. Their gazes locked and Jem slowly leaned in before softly pressing his lips to Scarlett's. It wasn't a long kiss, but it was enough to make up for the lost time for the past weekend. As usual, when she went long periods of time without kissing Jem, she felt herself becoming dizzy when he pulled away from her.

"I'm glad I made it," Jem said huskily, his forehead pressed up against hers.

"I'm glad you made it, too," Scarlett said. Then, she grabbed his hand and gently placed it on her flat stomach. "_We're_ glad you made it."

At that moment, Jem could've sworn he was grinning from ear-to-ear.

* * *

**Awwwww how sweet! Think things are fixed between them? Or do they still have a lot to talk about? Stay tuned!**

**As always, thank you for adding this to your favorites, signing up for alerts, and reviewing. Reviews are very much appreciated (and if you don't review, you don't get updates. Haha, bribery!) so please leave me a lovely review to let me know what you think!**


	19. Promises and Ultimatums

**So you can pretty much thank smallpea8 for asking me to update this. I know it's been a while but I had some free time and I was able to crank this out. I hope you like it. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Promises and Ultimatums**

Despite reconciling at the doctor's office, Jem and Scarlett had a lot to talk about. Neither one of them wanted to address the issue at hand and neither one of them wanted to start another fight. Instead, to procrastinate on the issue at hand, Jem insisted on taking Scarlett out to dinner. Scarlett knew he was trying to make up for all the mistakes he made and though she appreciated it, she'd had a long day. All she wanted to do was go home and maybe work on some documents for work.

When Scarlett had told Jem she wanted to stay in, he looked disappointed, mostly because Scarlett had mentioned doing stuff for work. She knew it had to seem like she didn't want him around, so she quickly corrected herself and told him that he was more than welcome at her house. The moment the words tumbled from her lips, Jem's eyes lit up like a little kid spotting all the presents under the tree on Christmas morning. So with that, they piled into their respective cars and headed to Scarlett's townhouse in East Cambridge.

As Scarlett drove back to her house, she couldn't help but glance in her rearview mirror every so often to make sure that Jem was still following her. She didn't know why she expected him to disappear; he did seem like an excited puppy dog when she invited him over. But every time she looked up into her rearview mirror, she partially expected to find a different car following her. So every time she glanced up and saw Jem's car right behind her, she felt her heart flutter just a little bit.

She glanced in her rearview mirror one more time as soon as she turned onto her street. Of course, a split second later, Jem's car turned onto the street, following right behind her. Scarlett felt her heart race again as she pried her eyes away from the rearview mirror to scope out a parking spot. Luckily, there was a spot a couple feet away from her house and she quickly snagged it.

She cut the ignition just as Jem drove by in his car, in hopes of finding a parking spot further up the road. Glancing out the window, she saw him stop in the middle of the road before parallel parking in a spot several spaces ahead of her spot. She watched his car disappear into the line of cars and then turned her attention back to her belongings. She snatched her purse from the passenger seat and cautiously stepped out of the car.

As she rounded the front of her car and stepped onto the sidewalk, she caught Jem climbing out of his car out of the corner of her eye. She figured he'd be able to catch up with her by the time she made it to the front door and unlocked it. With her eyes cast downwards, she strolled down the sidewalk until she reached her front steps. She mounted the pale grey stairs and climbed up them to her front door.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jem making his way down the sidewalk to her house. She hadn't seen Jem in days and she'd been beyond thrilled that he'd made it to the ultrasound appointment. She couldn't even describe how she was feeling right now. She had to admit she had been looking forward to a relaxing night, going through some paperwork for work, but now that Jem was here, it didn't look like that would happen. An evening with Jem was anything but relaxing and boring.

Scarlett reached for the keys in her purse and she noticed her hands were shaking. As of recently, the pregnancy hormones had been hitting her hard. The cravings were already rearing their ugly head and earlier today had only been a mild case of her emotions being out of check. This past weekend, she'd been having a hard time focusing on the work in front of her for the case she had been assigned to, and she knew it had nothing to do with the fight she had with Jem. She was only five weeks pregnant and yet the hormones were kicking her ass.

Finally, she retrieved her keys from her purse and grabbed the house key to unlock the door. As she shoved the key into the lock, she felt Jem's presence behind her as he climbed the steps. With a deep breath, she turned the key in the lock and the door popped open, letting them gain access to her townhouse. Scarlett shakily removed the key from the lock and took a deep breath. First she'd been an emotional wreck at the doctor's when Jem showed up. Now, well, now was something completely different.

She moved to shove her keys back into her purse when she fumbled with them and they clattered down the steps. She groaned as she closed her eyes out of embarrassment. She really was on a roller-coaster today.

She heard her keys scrape across the stone steps, followed by the jingle as the bundle of metal clanged against one another.

"You okay?" Scarlett heard Jem ask in his rough and deep Boston-accented voice. She'd missed his voice so much and hearing it again nearly sent her over the edge.

With a deep breath, she quickly spun around and crushed her lips to Jem's. Her hands cradled the sides of his face and she felt him step up to the next step to get them leveled out. Seconds later, his arms snaked around her waist as he hungrily kissed her back.

It was quick and Scarlett pulled away from Jem before he wanted her to, but she stared back into his blue-grey eyes with longing. Scarlett bit her bottom lip and it took a second for Jem to realize what she wanted. When he did, a mischievous grin spread across his face before he crushed his lips to hers again.

Jem growled as he stepped onto the step Scarlett was standing on. The moment he was on the same step as Scarlett, she pulled him into the house by the collar of his t-shirt, barely breaking the kiss. He stumbled into the house after her and slammed the door shut with his foot.

"Jem, I'm so sorry," Scarlett whined against his lips.

"Shut up, sweetheart," he growled. "You're forgiven."

Jem could feel a smile forming on Scarlett's face, but he put a stop to it as he hungrily kissed her back. They'd been in this position before, making up after a fight. But this time around, the circumstances were slightly different. They'd made up and they'd seen the ultrasound of their baby.

Life couldn't get anymore blissful than this.

* * *

The deed was finished quicker than usual due to Scarlett's pregnancy hormones, but Jem didn't care. They had stumbled upstairs, tore each other's clothes off, and landed in bed with Jem on top. It didn't take long for Scarlett to be sent over the edge. When she was, Jem thoroughly enjoyed it and he couldn't help but chuckle mischievously to himself as Scarlett hopelessly tried to compose herself.

They'd been lying in bed after the whole ordeal, tangled among the sheets and lying in silence. Scarlett was curled up against Jem's side while his arm was wrapped around her back. He was absentmindedly tracing patterns around her spine with his rough fingertips as he stared up at the ceiling.

Even though they'd made up, Jem knew he wasn't off the hook. Scarlett's hormones were out of balance due to the pregnancy so that was why her behavior was erratic. But even Jem knew this wouldn't last for long. As he lied in bed with her, he figured she'd end up asking sooner rather than later since she had him in bed with her.

Suddenly, Scarlett shifted in Jem's grasp and she climbed on top of him, lying chest to chest with him. Jem smirked to himself as his arms snaked around her waist. He knew she was going to drop the bomb soon. Why else would she pin him underneath her? But either way, he soaked up the last few minutes of bliss.

Scarlett carefully shifted in Jem's grasp again so she could run a hand through her blonde curls. She flipped the majority of her hair to one side before dropping her head to press a soft kiss to Jem's chest.

"Well, go ahead and say it," Jem grumbled. He diverted his gaze to the ceiling again but he still managed to softly rub one of his hands up and down Scarlett's back. He figured he might as well start the conversation. It was coming sooner or later.

"Say what?" Scarlett asked.

"You know, tell me what you think of the Fenway job," Jem shot back.

Jem felt Scarlett heave a deep breath before she dropped her head to Jem's chest. "Why don't you understand that I don't want to raise this baby alone?" she mumbled. She could feel the tears already starting to prickle in the corners of her eyes. She desperately chalked it up to the pregnancy hormones. If it weren't for the pregnancy, she figured she wouldn't even be close to crying at the moment.

"Scar, trust me when I say I'm going to make it out just fine," Jem said as he tangled his fingers into her blonde locks.

"This is Fenway we're talking about, Jem!" Scarlett choked out. Her voice was starting to waver as the tears threatened to spill over. These hormones were hitting her hard and she was pretty sure the emotional roller-coaster ride was far from over.

"We're good at what we do," Jem said. "Nothing's going to happen."

"You can't say that Jem. There are no guarantees," she whined, swallowing heavily to choke back the tears.

He knew she had a point. They barely got away during the last job and they'd been interrogated days later. But there was a chance that they could pull this off and Jem didn't want to blow it off. There was a lot of money on the line and he wanted it. He wanted it badly.

"There are no guarantees," Jem repeated with a sigh. "But it's worth the risk. Do you know how much money we could get? You, me, and our kid will be set for life."

"And we're back to square one," Scarlett growled.

"Please just let me do it," he begged.

Scarlett rolled her eyes. This was absolutely ridiculous. She was going to be raising this baby alone. She just knew it. He was either going to end up back in Walpole for the rest of his life or…well, she didn't want to think about the other option because Jem going back to Walpole for the rest of his life was way better than lowering his casket into the ground.

Then again, Jem seemed confident this would play out alright. With the exception of the last job, he and the rest of the guys had managed to slip away from the other jobs without a problem. But there was still the part of her that was screaming _This is mother fucking Fenway we're talking about!_

"Whatever," Scarlett finally growled as she rolled off of Jem. She shifted in bed so that her back was facing Jem. She grabbed the covers and pulled them up to cover her bare chest. She was staring at the wall when she felt the bed shift as Jem rolled over to lie behind her. She could tell he was hesitant in wrapping his arms around but he did it anyways and pulled her to his chest.

She wanted to protest. She really did, but the familiar security of being in his arms – combined with the exhaustion she felt from their romp in bed – was enough to make her give in and let him do so. Then again, she just couldn't stay mad at him. As hard as she tried, she really couldn't.

She felt him press a kiss to her hair before burying his face in her neck. His arms tightened around her and Scarlett felt her chest constrict. If he did go through with the Fenway job and they got caught or he ended up dead, there would never be this feeling of security anymore. She could never feel his strong arms wrapped around her. She could never feel protected if there was an actual threat because Jem would protect her for sure.

But the most important thing was that those strong arms of Jem's could possibly never hold their child. If he was sent back to Walpole, there was no guarantee they'd be allowed visitation without a dirty sheet of plexiglass separating them. If he dies, then the only arms their child would end up in are Scarlett's.

"I don't want you here when it goes down," Jem said, his voice muffled against her neck.

Scarlett stiffened. "What?" she choked out.

"I don't want you in Boston. I want you to go somewhere else," he said. "_If_ we get caught, I can't risk having the FBI or someone else coming after you."

Scarlett wriggled out of Jem's grasp before angrily shoving him in the shoulder. "First you put your life at risk and now you're sending me away. You're on really thin ice right now, Coughlin."

Jem couldn't help but grin when he heard a hint of her Boston accent slipping back in. "I'm going to meet you," he said. "After this is all over, I'm going to come meet you and then we can figure out if we want to come back to Boston or not. I'll have a lot of money."

"_Oh_," Scarlett said condescendingly. "In case you didn't know, I have a job. I can't just take a vacation whenever I please."

"Just a couple days," Jem begged. "And this job isn't happening until the weekend the Sox play the Yankees. You have time to ask off."

Scarlett rolled her eyes at Jem. Now he was getting ridiculous.

"Anywhere you want," Jem pleaded. "I just don't want you here when this happens."

Scarlett rolled her eyes again and shook her head. "You're unbelievable."

"I know it's a lot to ask," he said. "But…please."

Scarlett looked into Jem's eyes and saw a great amount of guilt. That was when she knew that he hated this just as much as she did. He didn't want to go into this job knowing whether he was going to come out dead or alive. He didn't want to send her away, not knowing when or if he'll see her again. He didn't want to wonder whether he'd be around to see his child's birth.

Scarlett shifted her position so that her body was completely facing Jem now. Her gaze softened and she looked into Jem's eyes. "Anywhere?" she questioned.

"Anywhere but here," he said.

"Ireland," she stated bluntly.

Jem arched an eyebrow at her. "Ireland?"

"Yeah," she said. "I've only been there once. I was four and I barely remember it. Plus, my dad was born there so why not?"

"You cost me way too much money, sweetheart," Jem said jokingly.

"You did say anywhere," she shot back.

Jem chuckled as he nodded his head. "Yeah, I did. Alright, Ireland it is."

"But there's something else," Scarlett said as she bit her bottom lip.

"Yeah?"

"Since my dad was born there, he has Irish citizenship," she said. "And then when he married my mom, she got Irish citizenship through marriage. And then they had me and through that, I have Irish citizenship too."

"Okay? Your point?" Jem asked.

"I want you to promise me you'll make it out of Fenway and come to Ireland to marry me," she said.

Jem felt his jaw drop. Typical of her to get straight to the point.

"And then we'll stay there," she said. "I had a professor in law school that was from Ireland. As far as I know, he still lives there for half of the year. He could probably find me a job until I can qualify to practice in Ireland."

"Wait, what's going on? You just went from totally moody and pissy to completely overjoyed and mischievous," Jem said as he furrowed his brow in confusion.

"I'm going to let it slide for now that you called me moody and pissy but don't _ever_ call me that when I'm as big as a whale. I _will_ hit you," she deadpanned. "But you have to promise me you will make it out of Fenway. I don't care if you've been shot three times and you have a concussion that made you lose half of your memory. Get your ass to Ireland."

Jem stared at her in awe, blinking every couple of seconds only because he needed to. "Wait, what?"

"Get. Your ass. To Ireland. So I can marry you," she said slowly.

"Yeah," he said quickly. "Yeah, I can do that."

"Jem," she said condescendingly.

"I will. I'll get there."

Scarlett felt a smile spreading across her face and she bit her lip to stop it. But it didn't matter because Jem saw it anyways. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her on top of him again. The skin on skin contact was better than sex. Just having her pressed against him was enough to send him over the edge.

"So shouldn't we start talking baby names?" Jem asked as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Scarlett giggled as she lowered her head and rested it on Jem's chest. "One step at a time, Coughlin. Get to Ireland first then we'll talk names."

Jem couldn't help but grin as he fell back against the pillows. Even though his gaze was focused on the ceiling, he tangled his fingers in Scarlett's hair. He knew he only had a little more time with her until she had to leave so he was going to savor moments like this. Even though he had everything lined up for her and he had made promises to her, they were promises that he wasn't quite sure he could keep.

* * *

**How do you think the Fenway job will play out? Will I kill Jem or will he live to make to Ireland to meet Scarlett? Stay tuned!**

**As always, thank you for adding this to your favorites, signing up for alerts, and reviewing. Reviews are very much appreciated and they make me happy so please leave me a lovely review to let me know what you think!**


	20. The Last Visit

**Hello everyone! Do you want feels? Well, you've got them! We're getting down to the wire. I think I'm going to end this at chapter 22 so we only have 3 chapters left. I hope you like this. Enjoy!**

* * *

**The Last Visit**

While they still had plenty of time until the Fenway job, Scarlett and Jem couldn't help but feel like their days together were numbered. Scarlett still worried that Jem wasn't going to make it out while Jem started to have his own doubts about making it out unscathed. The closer it got to the weekend of the Fenway job, Jem started to wonder if they'd make it out or not. It would be a risky feat but at the same time, he still told himself that they were good at what they do. There was no chance of getting caught as long as they stuck to the plan.

Jem never told Scarlett any of this, of course. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her and make her worry even more. Besides, she didn't need even more stress what with her pregnancy. The whole Fenway job had her stressed out already and if he admitted his doubts, that would only makes things worse for her. And the last thing Jem wanted was for her to take on so much stress that it caused complications in her pregnancy.

Instead, Jem and Scarlett kept themselves busy. They were together every night and they tried their best to keep conversation away from the Fenway job. They spent their nights falling asleep while watching movies. Every morning, Jem would attempt to make breakfast for Scarlett but to no avail. They still met up with one another during Scarlett's lunch break and Jem would almost always have dinner waiting for her – take-out from the pizzeria around the corner of course – when she got home from work.

Even though the Fenway job stayed out of their every day conversation, the thought of it still loomed. Scarlett had been putting off asking for her "vacation" at work but she eventually accepted that she had to do it whether she liked it or not. Two days after putting in for the "vacation," it was approved. She had arrived home in a sour mood and she mumbled under her breath as she let Jem know he could go to the travel agency and book a ticket to Dublin for her. She knew he didn't like it either, but that didn't make her feel any better about it.

Once the "vacation" was arranged and her planet ticket was booked, Scarlett knew there was only more thing she had to do: tell her father. She hadn't visited him since that day she went to talk to him about Jem. She felt like her father was in the dark about everything. He didn't know that she got back together with Jem. He didn't know that Jem knocked her up. He didn't know that she and Jem were getting married. But most importantly, her father didn't know that he most likely wouldn't be seeing his only child anymore now that she was pretty much moving to Ireland.

As much as she didn't want to face her father, Scarlett had to do it. She couldn't just disappear without letting him know what was going on. He went to jail because of her for crying out loud! He deserved to know why he most likely wasn't going to see his daughter anymore. But first, Scarlett had to tell Jem.

They had been sitting on the couch in Scarlett's living room. A bowl of popcorn was situated in Scarlett's lap as her legs were draped over Jem's legs. They were watching some poorly made action film on cable that neither of them were paying much attention to. While Scarlett was preoccupied with seeing her father again in the near future, Jem wasn't making it easier as he ran his rough hands up and down her smooth legs. Every so often, his hands would move further up her legs, getting closer and closer towards her sensitive spot.

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing, Coughlin," Scarlett said jokingly as she chucked a piece of popcorn at Jem.

Jem dodged the piece of popcorn before grinning smugly at his fiancée. "Oh yeah, what am I doing?" he asked.

"Trying to get me off, which, as you know, doesn't take much in my current condition," the blonde stated with a smirk.

"And that's why I'm doing it," Jem said with a devilish grin.

Scarlett rolled her eyes and then reached for the remote on the coffee table. She snatched the device and pressed the mute button, silencing the sound coming from the TV.

"Hey, I was watching that!" Jem protested.

"Oh shut up. You were too busy trying to get closer to my snatch," Scarlett said. She set the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table before shifting on the couch to cuddle closer to Jem.

"Something up?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said softly as she rested her chin on Jem's shoulder. "I've got to talk to you about something."

Jem nodded. He wasn't quite sure why it was but he had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Maybe she was going to tell him that there was something wrong with the baby. Maybe she was going to tell him she was ending their engagement. Either way, he had a bad feeling about the conversation that was going to proceed.

"So there's only two weeks left until the Fenway job," Scarlett said as she played with the collar of Jem's t-shirt. "And everything's arranged but there's one more thing."

"Fucking hell, Scar, what else are you going to make me do?" Jem whined.

"Nothing," Scarlett said. "It's something _I_ have to do."

Jem furrowed his brow as he looked at her in confusion.

"I have to go talk to my dad," Scarlett said as she cupped the side of Jem's face. "I can't just up and leave without saying goodbye to him and letting him know what's going on."

Suddenly, it felt like Jem had been hit in the chest with a ton of bricks. He had completely forgotten about Scarlett's dad. It wasn't that he thought she'd forget to say goodbye to him before she left. That wasn't the problem. The problem was that Jem had not only proposed to Mr. McAuley's daughter without asking for permission first, but he'd also knocked her up. Jem barely knew the guy and he knew the man was going to hate him.

"Umm, o-okay," Jem stammered.

"You don't have to go with me," Scarlett said. "I'd never ask you to go see my dad in Walpole seeing as I'm trying my best to keep you out of there." Jem had to admit that made him chuckle. "I was going to go Saturday morning," she continued. "Just so you know."

Jem nodded. Even though she said he didn't have to go with her, he still felt obliged to ask if she wanted company. "D-do you want me to go with you?" he asked. "I know you said I don't have to go but…I thought I'd ask."

Scarlett giggled as she pressed a kiss to Jem's cheek. "No, you don't have to go. Like I said, I'm trying really hard to keep you out of Walpole and I'm going to keep it that way."

He knew she wanted to keep him as far away from Walpole as possible, but he couldn't help but feel like she shouldn't go alone. Behind the bars or not, Walpole was a rough place. He knew she'd been there by herself before but he didn't like the thought of her going alone.

"A-are you sure?" he asked.

Scarlett giggled again. "I can take care of myself if that's what you're asking. I'm a big girl."

As terrifying as it seemed to face her father, Jem would suck it up just so she didn't have to go to Walpole alone. But he trusted his fiancée. He knew she could take care of herself, but that didn't mean he wouldn't be worrying every second of every minute until she was back, safe in his arms, on Saturday.

* * *

Saturday morning came quicker than expected. Jem slowly came to and stretched out in bed. With his eyes still closed, Jem furrowed his brow in confusion as he reached out and felt emptiness on Scarlett's side of the bed. He jerked upright and looked around wildly before he noticed the bathroom door was shut.

With a grunt, Jem swung his legs over the side of the bed and padded towards the bathroom. He leaned in towards the door to hear the sound of retching from the other side. Jem glanced over at the clock on the bedside table. It read 7:34. Like clockwork, Scarlett's morning sickness was acting up.

Softly, Jem rapped his knuckles on the door and he heard the retching cease from the other side. "Hey Scar, you okay?" he asked.

He heard her moan from the other side but he still didn't walk in. He'd learned the hard way one morning that he shouldn't barge in unless she wanted him to. So he stayed put on the other side of the door until he was told he could come in.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she moaned. Jem heard the toilet flush and then the click of the lock before the door was pulled open to reveal a disheveled Scarlett. There was a sheen of sweat on her forehead and her blonde hair was pulled up into a messy bun. Her eyelids were weighed down with sleep and there were light purple splotches underneath her eyes.

"Umm, are you sure you're going to be okay to go see your dad?" Jem asked nervously. He really didn't want her to go. He'd spent nine years in that hellhole and he didn't want her to spend any time there, even if it was only to visit her father.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Scarlett grumbled as she pushed past Jem and padded towards her dresser. "Every pregnant woman goes through this, Jem. I'll be fine within the hour."

With a shrug of his shoulders, Jem sluggishly dragged his feet back to bed and flopped down on the mattress with a sigh. He covered his face with his arms and slowly began to drift back to sleep. But it wasn't much later when Jem felt Scarlett's fingers threading through his short hair. The action put a smile on his face but Scarlett put that to rest by brushing her lips ever so softly against his.

"You're going to be robbing Fenway in a few weeks and you're worrying about me going to visit my dad in Walpole. One these things is not like the other," she said with a giggle.

Jem removed his arms from his face and then rolled onto his stomach to face Scarlett properly. She had already put on a set of clean clothes and she had brushed her hair and pulled it up into a neat ponytail. There wasn't much she could do about the light purple splotches under her eyes but Jem figured no one would be able to notice as long as they didn't get as close to her as Jem was right now.

"Just be careful sweetheart," Jem said in his husky Boston accent.

"I will," Scarlett said before she leaned in and softly pressed her lips to Jem's. It was short and sweet and when she pulled away, she had a smirk on her face. "Go back to bed. I'll crawl back in with you when I get back."

Jem nodded with a sigh before crawling back under the covers while Scarlett slid off of the bed. With a grunt, he adjusted the pillows as Scarlett sidled up to his side of the bed and leaned down to press another kiss to his lips. This time it was a little more drawn out than the last one, so it would hold them both over until they were reunited a couple hours later.

With one final smirk, Scarlett disappeared from sight and slipped out of the room to do the one thing she'd rather not do on a Saturday morning.

* * *

The car was in park but Scarlett still gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles. The bleak, grey prison stood before her, casting an eerie shadow over the parking lot. She didn't want to go in there. After everything that happened since she'd last been here, she really didn't want to go inside. But she had to do it. She didn't drive a half hour just to sit in the parking lot and stare at the godforsaken building in front of her.

Taking a deep breath, she pulled her keys from the ignition and snatched her purse from the passenger seat before climbing out the car. It was an unusually hot day for the month of August and she let out a sigh as she felt the heat hit her in the face. She hoisted her purse onto her shoulder and crossed the parking lot to the entrance of the prison. She hesitated outside of the door for a couple seconds before pushing it open and stepping inside.

First, she was greeted with a blast of cool air from the central air system. Second, she found herself standing in the dull lobby for visitor's check-in. She made sure all of her personal items were tucked away in her purse before she approached the check-in desk. She was greeted by a security guard with a blank disposition. He looked like he was beyond annoyed but Scarlett still flashed a smile at the man and politely told him the person she was visiting. The security guard quickly scribbled the information on a yellow piece of paper and then handed it to Scarlett.

"Through that door," the security guard said as he pointed over his shoulder. "Cross the courtyard and enter the door. There should be another check-in desk. They'll take you to the visitor's room after that."

It wasn't her first go around but Scarlett simply nodded and did as she was told. She crossed the room and pushed open the door to reveal the vast courtyard that separated the welcome center from the actual prison. With a deep breath, she began her trek across the courtyard and before she knew it, she was opening the door to the other half of the prison.

This time around, she had a much friendlier welcoming. She handed her yellow slip to the security guard and he gave her a smile as he gestured towards the visitor's room. She smiled back at the man and then headed into the room with the cubicles.

Before she took her seat at her assigned cubicle, she looked around at the rest of the visitors. Some were here alone – visiting loved ones that would most likely be in prison for the rest of their lives – but there was a woman at the last cubicle who was speaking with a man in an orange jumpsuit. In her lap was a small child that looked no older than two. Scarlett froze in her spot and she felt her heart clench. Suddenly, every possible bad scenario ran through her head all at once. If the Fenway job didn't work out, that could be her and Jem – sitting close yet so far away from one another. Their child could be sitting on Scarlett's lap, waving to Jem but never being able to be held by their father.

Scarlett was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard a buzzing noise, followed by the screech of a door to let the inmates into the visitor's room. Quickly, Scarlett took her seat at her assigned cubicle and tried to get her breathing under control. Her father could read her like an open book so she didn't want to alarm him from the get go. She had to get her emotions in check before her father sat down in front of her.

Out of the corner of her eye, Scarlett saw her father making his way to their assigned cubicle. She bowed her head so she could get her emotions in check without him seeing. She heard the scraping of a chair and she knew that her father was sitting in front of her. She raised her head and grabbed the phone from the side of the cubicle.

_Well, here it goes_, Scarlett thought.

"Hi darling," her dad said with a smile.

That endearment caused a smile to spread across Scarlett's face. "Hi Daddy," she said.

"What's going on?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Nothing," the blonde said with a shrug. "Just thought I'd swing by and see how you were doing."

"Well that's nice," her father said as he shifted in his chair. "How's work?"

Scarlett shrugged her shoulders. "It's good. I've been working on a few cases but nothing major."

"Sounds great," Mr. McAuley said. "Have you seen Rachel and Lacey lately?"

Scarlett nodded. "Yeah, we get lunch together every so often if our schedules match up."

Scarlett's father nodded. "That's good."

Silence followed and Scarlett wasn't quite sure where to take it from there. She couldn't believe how nervous she was. She was a grown up, but she still worried what her dad was going to think of her.

"Did you ever figure things out between you and Coughlin?" her father asked, ripping her from her thoughts.

Scarlett gripped the phone even tighter and she felt her heart start to race. This was the moment. She was going to have to tell him. There's no way she could tell him about their reconciliation without letting him know about the other details.

Scarlett uncomfortably shifted in her seat. "Umm, yeah, yeah, we worked things out."

"Oh yeah?" Scarlett's father said as he shifted in his seat. "From what I can tell, you guys did more than just work things out."

Now Scarlett was confused. Was she really that readable? Her father saw the look on her face and he nodded towards her left hand.

"You're holding the phone with your ring hand, darling," Mr. McAuley said nonchalantly.

Scarlett gasped as she pulled the phone away from her ear to look at the diamond on her finger. She couldn't believe she'd been so stupid. She knew she should've left the ring at home with Jem. It would've been better than having her father find out like this.

"I-I'm so sorry, Dad," she choked out.

"What do you have to be sorry about?" her father said as he leaned back in his chair.

"I wanted to tell you properly," she said. "I just…I'm sorry."

"Stop saying you're sorry."

"But I am!" she whined. "I know you want so much better for me and I know you're probably thinking I can do so much better than Jem but please understand that I want this."

"Scarlett, calm down," her father hissed. "I'm not mad. Why would I be mad?"

"Because he didn't ask for your permission," Scarlett whispered. "And…" she trailed off. Is this really how she wanted to tell him? Dropping a bomb on him like she did with Jem? Taking a deep breath, she figured it was now or never. "And I'm pregnant with his child," she said simply.

Scarlett practically flinched as she watched her father's jaw drop in awe. That wasn't the way she wanted to tell him, but then again, she didn't really have a plan on how she wanted to tell him in the first place.

"Well, I should've seen this coming," Mr. McAuley sighed.

"Dad, I'm so sorry," Scarlett whined.

"Will you stop apologizing? What do you have to be sorry for, Scarlett?" her father asked.

"Just…I don't know," she said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Scarlett, sweetheart," her father said endearingly as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the countertop. "You're going to be 30 in November. If this had been you and Coughlin when you were 17, yeah, I would've been pissed. But you're a grown up now and you can make your own choices."

"But there's more," Scarlett said shakily.

Her father nodded, letting her know that she should continue.

"I'm leaving, Dad," Scarlett said as tears prickled in the corners of her eyes. "I'm going to Ireland and I'm not coming back."

"Back to the homeland, I see," Mr. McAuley mused.

"Things are going to get bad," Scarlett said. "The first weekend of September, things are going to be bad and Jem doesn't want me around. He thinks he's going to be okay, but I have a feeling I'm going to be left all alone in this!"

"Scarlett, shhh, it's okay," her father hushed soothingly.

"Daddy," she whimpered as tears started streaming down her cheeks. "He's not going to meet me in Ireland. I made him promise me he would but I know he won't."

"Scarlett, you've got to calm down – ."

"I can't, Dad. I can't," she cried. "He's either going to end up back in here or – ."

"No," her father said firmly, cutting her off. "That's not going to happen. If he ends up in here, I'll kick his ass. Or if he ends up…elsewhere, I will still kick his ass when we see each other. I won't let him get away with leaving you alone."

Scarlett giggled nervously as she wiped the tears from her eyes and face. Her version of screwing up her life was different than her father's, but she still couldn't help but think he was mad at her.

"So you don't think I'm screwing up my life?" she croaked.

"No Scarlett," he said wearily. "Like I said, you're a grown up. You can make your own decisions."

"And you're not mad that he didn't ask for permission first?"

"How was he going to ask?" her father mused. "I'm in here and I'm pretty sure this is the last place he wants to spend time at after being here for nine years."

Scarlett let out a throaty giggle. "And you're not mad he knocked me up either?"

"No Scarlett," Mr. McAuley said exasperatedly. "You're going to be able to support this kid. You work hard for the kind of money you make. You're in the right time in your life to have kids. The only reason I'd be mad is if you didn't send me pictures of my grandkid."

Scarlett let out another giggle as she swiped at the tears still rolling down her cheeks.

"But seriously, if that bastard ends up back in here or in the ground, I will kick his ass," Mr. McAuley deadpanned. Scarlett giggled again as she wiped her eyes free from tears. "Scarlett, you're not screwing up your life. Trust me. As long as you're not in here with me for some felony, I'd say you're doing one hell of a job."

A smile spread across Scarlett's face and she bit her lip to keep it from spreading any further. Her father didn't think any less of her. Ever since he ended up in Walpole, Scarlett had worked hard to not disappoint him seeing as he was pretty much in jail because of her. But it seemed as though her father didn't quite care what she did as long as she stayed in touch with him.

"Go home, sweetheart," her father finally said. "Stop wasting your time in this wasteland with me."

"Dad," she whined.

"I mean it," Mr. McAuley said. "Go be with your fiancé. I don't know what he has up his sleeve but go spend time with him."

Scarlett giggled. "Okay," she said. She looked at her dad for a couple seconds, soaking in his appearance. Being in Walpole had aged him, like it had done to Jem. Scarlett was disappointed that this was how she was going to remember him, but it was better than not remembering him at all.

"Get back to the troublemaker, darling," her father ordered.

Scarlett grinned. "I will, but, umm, Dad?"

"Yeah, sweetheart?"

"If…if Jem does end up back in here…" she trailed off. She didn't want to think about the Fenway job and its repercussions, and yet, here she was. "If Jem does end up back in here, will you look out for him? Will you make sure he doesn't get in trouble or anything?"

Scarlett's father nodded his head, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Anything for you, sweetheart."

Scarlett smiled faintly at her father. "Thanks, Daddy. I love you."

"Love you too, Scarlett."

With one last smile to her father, Scarlett hung up the phone and stood from her chair. She saw her father do the same and leave the cubicle to return to his cell. Scarlett felt her heart break in two. This would be the last time she would see her father and she still felt like she hadn't said everything she wanted to say to him.

After staring at the empty chair for what felt like an eternity, Scarlett started to feel the walls of Walpole closing in on her. She had to get out. She had to get out now. Quickly, she marched out of the room and walked at a fast pace as she made her way out of the prison. It felt like it took her forever to make it to her car and get it started. And if she didn't know any better, it felt like it took two times longer to get back to her townhouse in East Cambridge than it had in the past.

She didn't feel completely safe and sound until she was back in bed with Jem's strong arms wrapped around her to keep their demons at bay.

* * *

**And that is the last time we will see Scarlett's father. Poor Scarlett. We're getting down to the wire. Stay tuned!**

**As always, thank you for adding this to your favorites, signing up for alerts, and reviewing. Reviews are very much appreciated and they make me happy so please leave me a lovely review to let me know what you think!**


	21. Like Robbing God

******So, even though only one person reviewed the last chapter (Shout out to Coley Coughlin for being the only reviewer) and trying to wait for more reviews, I finally decided to kick off my summer writing with updating this. Mostly because I'm like 2 chapters away from finishing this fic after this chapter. Anyways, I feel like this chapter is a bit of a filler before the Fenway job happens. I hope you like it. Enjoy!**

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**Like Robbing God**

The week leading up to the Fenway job was a hectic one. Jem was in and out of the house, meeting up with the guys and Fergie to put the finishing touches on the plans. Sometimes he would return really late in the night – well after Scarlett had gone to sleep – or sometimes not all, which would leave Scarlett to wake up in an empty bed, disappointed and heartbroken.

Scarlett had to get her affairs squared away before the Fenway job as well. She would be departing the day before the whole ordeal went down. Not only did she have to pack up the majority of her belongings, but she still had to tell Lacey and Rachel she would be leaving. After she'd told her father that she wouldn't be coming back, she needed time to get her thoughts in order before telling her two best friends. If her father took it so well, then Lacey and Rachel were going to be the complete opposite.

The Wednesday of the week leading up to the Fenway job, Scarlett dragged her feet to the café she and her friends frequented. She wasn't looking forward to dinner one bit. Ever since she'd started dating Jem, she'd become more distant from Lacey and Rachel. Of course they'd encouraged her to hang out with Jem, but now that he had essentially sucked up most of her free time, Lacey and Rachel weren't pleased with her lack of availability. Now that Scarlett would most likely be permanently living in Ireland, she was pretty much convinced she was going to lose her friends for good.

Lacey and Rachel were already seated and reading through their menus when Scarlett arrived. Taking a deep breath, she slapped a smile on her face and shouted an enthusiastic hello at her two best friends. The two women jumped from their seats and greeted Scarlett with hugs and kisses on the cheek before they sat back down in their seats and gestured for Scarlett to take hers.

Lowering into the seat, she felt her nerves starting to act up. Her heart was starting quicken to an abnormal pace and her palms were starting to sweat. In a matter of seconds, she'd started bouncing her leg up and down. She only prayed that Lacey and Rachel didn't notice.

"So darling, how are you feeling? How's the baby? How's Jem?" Rachel asked.

"I'm fine. Morning sickness is hitting me a little too hard but I manage. I'm almost at two months and everything's going good. And Jem's good," Scarlett said, practically in one breath.

Lacey and Rachel nodded in unison. "Well that's great!" Lacey chimed in.

Scarlett nodded in agreement. She was about to say something when their waiter sidled up to the table and greeted the three women. Since they frequented the café, they ordered their usual food and the waiter scurried off to put in their orders and retrieve their drinks.

While they were waiting, the three women just made small talk. The more Scarlett put off the conversation about leaving, the more nervous it made her. She wanted to get it over and done with, but at the same time, she wanted to say the right thing. Putting it off as much as possible was either the best or worst idea.

It had been 15 minutes when their waiter returned with their food, placing each dish in front of its respective owners. After he'd asked if the three women needed anything else, he sauntered off to tend to his other tables and leave the women to eat in peace. It didn't take long for the women to dig in, especially Scarlett who was eating for two now. Within minutes, they were halfway through their meals and close to getting full.

"Oh my God, I'll never get sick of that," Lacey moaned as she polished off her penne alla vodka.

Rachel let out a hearty chuckle. "I always knew you were such an alcoholic."

Lightly, Lacey shoved Rachel in the shoulder. "I wouldn't exactly make a good nurse if I were an alcoholic, would I?" Lacey mused.

Rachel rolled her eyes at Lacey before skewering a piece of broccoli on her fork. Scarlett couldn't help but smile and she bowed her head to hide the gesture. This would be the last time she would see her friends until God knows when. If Jem didn't make it out of the Fenway job, there was no way she could return to Boston. The memories of the two of them would just be too much to handle. But if Jem did make it out of the Fenway job, she and him would be living in Ireland permanently and there was no chance they'd return to Boston, let alone the United States.

"Hey Scar, you okay?"

Scarlett lifted her head to find Lacey and Rachel staring at her. She hadn't realized she'd been staring glumly at her food while Lacey and Rachel bantered over the upcoming Red Sox-Yankees games this weekend.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Rachel asked sympathetically.

Scarlett shook her head. "Nothing." It wasn't convincing for her voice cracked at the end of the word.

"You can't fool us," Rachel chimed in.

With a sigh, Scarlett set her fork down on the plate and rested her elbows on the table. She wasn't quite ready to tell them but since they were asking, she couldn't back out. They'd only nag her to get it out of her.

"What's going on, Scar?" Lacey asked as she cocked her head to the side.

Scarlett sighed. "There's…something going on."

Instinctively, Rachel and Lacey turned their heads towards one another and silently stared at one another, almost in a silent communication. Scarlett always wondered how these two were able to communicate with each other without saying a word. It was actually kind of creepy.

"Is it Jem?" Rachel asked when she turned back towards Scarlett. "Did he do something to you? Did he hurt you?"

"Are you out of your fucking mind? He would _never_ hurt me!" Scarlett snapped.

"Well what is it then? You sound so cryptic when you talk anymore," Lacey said as she rolled her eyes. She reached for her glass of water and took a sip as she eyed Scarlett suspiciously.

Scarlett rolled her eyes out of annoyance. "It has to do with Jem but he hasn't done a thing to me, alright? The only way he would hurt me is emotionally."

"Well, what's going on then?" Rachel asked curiously.

Scarlett diverted her focus to her lap. She knew they weren't going to approve of her protecting Jem because that was pretty much what she was doing. When she'd first found out about Jem and the robberies, Lacey and Rachel had told her to turn him in, but Scarlett didn't do that. She _couldn't_ do it. Since then, Lacey and Rachel had been wary of Jem. Now that Scarlett was about to tell them she was running off to Ireland while Jem robbed Fenway, she was pretty sure they'd never speak to her again.

"Something's going to happen," Scarlett said cryptically. "Something bad."

Once again, Lacey and Rachel turned to one another to resume their silent communication. Scarlett rolled her eyes again before Lacey and Rachel turned back to her. "Like what?" Rachel asked.

Scarlett sighed again. "Something like the banks and the trucks."

"What do you mean _like_ the banks and trucks?" Rachel asked with an edge in her voice.

"Bigger," Scarlett said simply.

"Bigger?" Rachel and Lacey asked in unison.

Taking a deep breath, Scarlett leaned in and Lacey and Rachel did the same. "Monday," the blonde said. "It's happening Monday."

"_What's_ happening Monday?" Rachel hissed.

"Like I'd tell you guys in public, but I will tell you that I'm leaving," Scarlett said.

"Leaving? What do you mean you're leaving?" Lacey chimed in.

"Jem doesn't want me around when it happens. He wants me to be safe."

"Well, where are you going? We'll come with you. I'm not on call and Rachel doesn't work," Lacey said.

Scarlett shook her head. "I can't drag you guys into this."

"You already have!" Rachel hissed.

Scarlett pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger. She knew it wasn't going to be easy telling them about the whole ordeal without giving too much away. They'd know about the Fenway job when it happens because there was no doubt – whether the guys succeeded or not – that the robbery would make the news. All she wanted to tell them was that she was leaving Boston for a week. Whatever happens, there was no way she would be returning.

"Look, I'm leaving on Sunday. I'll be gone for a week but there's no way I'm coming back," Scarlett said.

"You are out of your fucking mind!" Lacey hissed. "You have a job! You have a child to think about!"

"I _am_ thinking about my fucking child, thank you very much," Scarlett snapped. "I'm going to Ireland. I'm meeting up with Dr. Patterson. He has an extra apartment he can loan me for my stay and he's going to give me a job."

"You've seriously lost your mind," Rachel said before turning to Lacey, whose mouth was hanging open. "She's lost it, hasn't she?"

Lacey shook her head in disbelief. "You're leaving," she stated.

"I am," Scarlett said.

"And Jem's going to leave you all alone," Lacey stated.

Scarlett shrugged. "It depends if he makes it out of this job or not."

"So he's basically leaving you alone," Rachel interjected. "You're really fucking stupid, you know that? You're book smart but talk about real life with you and you're fucking retarded."

"You know what, I don't need you judging me," Scarlett snapped. "I wanted to let you know why I was leaving and I wanted to hang out with you guys for one last time." Angrily, Scarlett yanked her purse from the back of her chair and rooted around inside of it until she found a twenty dollar bill. She slapped the piece of paper on the tabletop before rising from her seat. "Tell the waiter he can keep the change," she shot back icily.

Turning on her heel, Scarlett stomped out of the café and to her car. It took her a couple seconds to find her car keys in her purse but when she finally did, she hastily unlocked the car and piled into the driver's seat.

The drive back to her townhouse in East Cambridge seemed to drag on and on. What would typically be a ten minute drive seemed to turn into an hour journey. By the time she turned onto her road, she was close to losing it. That wasn't the way she wanted to leave things with her friends but they didn't understand and they would never understand. No matter how hard she tried, she knew they would never understand.

She slowed the car to a crawl and found a parking spot a couple feet away from her house. She stopped next to the parking spot and eased the car into the empty spot. When her car was in park, Scarlett completely lost it. The tears started to fall and her throat started to constrict. She cut the engine but stayed put in her seat. Reaching across the arm rest, she snatched her purse and set it in her lap as she tried to find her phone. Fortunately, it was situated right on top and she quickly started to search through her contacts for the one person she needed.

The phone rang twice before the person on the other end picked up. They didn't have time to get a word in for Scarlett was already speaking a hundred miles a minute.

"Jem, please tell me you're home," Scarlett moaned.

"Scar, what's wrong?" she heard him whisper. She must have interrupted a meeting and that only made her cry harder.

"I can't do this!" she whined. "I can't do this. I'm losing my mind! This…this isn't going to work! You're not going to make it out and I'm going to be all alone to raise this fucking kid and I - ."

"Hey baby, calm down," Jem said soothingly. "Breathe. Just breathe, okay?"

"I can't," she moaned as she leaned forward and rested her head on the steering wheel.

Jem didn't say a word but there was the faint sound of voices in the background. Scarlett had to admit that just being on the phone with Jem made her feel better, but it would be better if he were home with her.

"Scar, where are you? I'm coming to get you," Jem said.

"I'm home," she sighed. "But I'm still in the car. I can't get out. I don't think I can."

"I'm coming," Jem said and then the line went dead. In anger, Scarlett chucked her phone to the other side of the car, the fragile material cracking as it hit the passenger side door. With a heavy sigh, she rested her forehead on the steering wheel again as the tears began to flow heavily.

She'd lost track of time. She wasn't entirely sure how she'd been sitting in her car, but when she heard a tap at her window, she sat bolt upright and whipped her head to the side. Standing outside of her car was Jem, staring back in with a concerned look on his face. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she pushed the door open and stumbled into Jem's waiting arms.

"Scar, what's going on?" he asked.

"I can't do this, Jem!" she wailed as she cried into his chest. "I'm leaving and I'm going to have no one. I'm going to be all alone."

"You're not going to be alone," he griped.

"Oh fuck off!" she snapped as she shoved him away from her. The tears were still steadily falling and she could feel her heart rate quickening. "You're not going to make it out! This is complete and utter bullshit, Coughlin!"

"Where the fuck is this coming from?" he growled.

"I can't do this! I can't do this! I can't do this!" she repeated.

"Baby, calm down," he said calmly.

"I know I'm being a fucking psychopath right now, but I'm leaving everyone in my life. My dad, my best friends…fuck, even my mother and she lives in Hawaii! Let's face it, I'm never going to see them again!" Scarlett wailed. "I can't lose you too!"

"Scar, baby, you're not going to," Jem growled as he grabbed her wrists and pulled her to him. "We're working this out."

With a shaky hand, she ran it over her face, drying the tears from her face. "I'm losing my mind, Jem. I'm - ." Suddenly, Scarlett sucked in a deep breath and hunched forward, clutching her stomach.

Frantically, Jem stepped forward and grabbed Scarlett by the shoulders. "Hey, what? What's wrong?"

"I don't know," she moaned as she clutched her stomach tightly. "My stomach hurts." Scarlett let out a pained moan as she reached out and grabbed a fistful of Jem's t-shirt.

"You're too stressed out, sweetheart," Jem said. "That's not good for the baby."

"All thanks to you, shithead," she shot back.

"Come here," Jem said as he leaned down and swept Scarlett up in his arms. She let out a pained moan at the change in position and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Where are your keys, baby?" he asked as he pressed a kiss to her hair.

"In the car. In my purse," she sighed as she sniffled.

Jem nodded as he rounded the front of her car and approached the passenger side door. With much skill, Jem shifted his hold on Scarlett and successfully opened the door. He snatched her purse from the seat and then shoved the door closed with his hip.

He didn't say a word to the woman in his arms as he walked up the sidewalk and the front steps to the townhouse. Successfully, he somehow reached into Scarlett's purse, pulled out her keys, and unlocked the front door. Dropping her purse by the front door, Jem headed straight to her bedroom upstairs. He pushed open the door and crossed the room to lay her on the bed. The beautiful blonde was reluctant to let go of Jem but he just climbed onto the bed next to her and pulled her close.

They laid in silence, just the sounds of their breathing and a few whimpers from Scarlett filling the room. Jem knew this was tearing her apart. He knew he was putting her through hell, but this was his only way out. After Fenway, he'll be set for life, him and Scarlett and their baby. He just had to get through it and then head to Ireland to marry Scarlett.

"I'm losing my mind, Jem." Scarlett's raspy voice cut through Jem's thoughts and he turned his head to see her red, puffy eyes staring back at him. The fact that he was pretty much the person doing this to her made him feel guilty.

He pulled her closer to him and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "So help me God, I'll make it out."

"I hope God's on your side, Saturday," Scarlett sighed. "He's the only one left to rely on."

The sad part was that God probably wasn't going to be on their side on Monday because Fenway was the Cathedral of Boston. Robbing Fenway was like robbing God. So no, God definitely would not be on their side on Monday.

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**Oh boy, so Fenway is coming up. It will be in the next chapter, followed by an epilogue. Stay tuned!**

**As always, thank you for adding this to your favorites, signing up for alerts, and reviewing. Reviews make me happy and they motivate me to write. And if you want quicker updates, you must review so let me know what you think!**


	22. The Hardest Goodbye

**Alright everyone, here is the second to last chapter. Next is the epilogue. I don't think you guys are going to like me by the end of this chapter. You'll see why. Enjoy!**

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**The Hardest Goodbye**

When Scarlett awoke Sunday morning, she didn't want to open her eyes and face what the day has planned. Today, she would be leaving Boston. Today, she would be saying goodbye to her hometown for good. Today, most importantly, was the day she'd be saying goodbye to Jem.

Of course, she hoped this wouldn't be the last goodbye. She desperately hoped that he would make it out of the Fenway job unscathed and alive – and she knew he hoped that too – but both of them had a sense of dread over the whole ordeal. This was Fenway they were talking about, the Cathedral of Boston. No good could come out of this.

Burying her face into her pillow, she could already feel the tears starting to prickle in the corners of her eyes. If she opened her eyes, she would see the piles of boxes and suitcases in the corner of her room. She would see the bare walls of her bedroom, stripped of their portraits and paintings that made the room homely and livable. If she opened her eyes, she would have to face the day that was waiting for her.

The bed shifted behind her and she heard a low grunt. Seconds later, the strong arms of Jem Coughlin wrapped around her waist and pulled her close to his chest. This was probably the only feeling of security she would experience today. In Jem's arms is where she always felt the safest. He protected her. He stood up for her. Of course she could take care of herself, but given recent events, the only thing that made her feel safe was Jem's strong arms wrapped around her lithe body.

For a split second, Scarlett had completely forgotten about what the day had planned for them. But that was only for a second, and soon enough, Scarlett was pushing away from Jem and climbing out of bed. Their goodbye was going to be hard enough.

Without a word, Scarlett grabbed the clothes she'd laid out the night before and headed straight for the bathroom. As she headed to the bathroom, she could see Jem sitting up in bed out of the corner of her, watching her curiously as she crossed the room. She didn't want him to see her cry. Of course he'd seen her cry before. She had a meltdown in front of him days before, but now was not the time for tears. It would only make this a thousand times harder than it already was.

Scarlett got dressed quickly and ran a brush through her hair. As she was detangling the knots in her blonde curls, she felt her stomach lurch violently. Nervously, Scarlett swallowed the bile that rose up in her throat, but didn't succeed. Seconds later, she was hunched over the toilet, throwing up the contents of her stomach.

_The things I go through for you, Coughlin_, she thought icily.

When she was finished, she flushed the toilet and reached for her toothbrush and toothpaste. She squirted some of the colorful paste onto the bristles and began to brush furiously. She spat into the sink and then began to brush even more, even though there was barely any paste left on the brush. Anything to push back facing Jem.

She spat one more time and then rinsed off her toothbrush before placing it in the plastic toothbrush travel case. Checking her cabinets and shower one last time, she figured it was time to face Jem. That and she had a plane to catch. She couldn't miss her flight.

With a sigh, she unlocked the bathroom door and pulled it open only to be assault by Jem's lips on hers. She was caught off guard – he had to have been waiting outside the door for her – and she didn't want to do this right now. She didn't want to get too attached at the last second. If they tried to make it seem like they were saying goodbye right now, the real goodbye would be heartbreakingly tragic. But God, she couldn't push away from him.

His arms were wrapped around her waist and her chest was pressed up against his. Her hands were cupping the sides of his face while their lips molded perfectly to one another. It was so perfect, even if it was in the doorway of her barren bathroom.

When they finally pulled away from one another, Scarlett was dizzy. She knew it was definitely from the kiss, but she was also really hungry. As of lately, if she didn't get any food in her stomach when she was hungry, she started to feel dizzy. So the dizziness definitely had something to do with that too.

"We, umm, we should probably get my stuff together," she whispered.

Solemnly, Jem nodded and relinquished his grip on Scarlett. With her gaze focused on the floor, Scarlett brushed past Jem and crossed the room to shove her toothbrush into one of her suitcases. From behind her the floor creaked and she knew Jem had to be standing behind her, but she didn't turn around.

"You want me to take anything downstairs?" he asked flatly.

Scarlett nodded before pointing to the black suitcases to her right. "Those are good to go."

Silently, Jem grabbed the suitcases and rolled them across the room and disappeared down the hall. She heard his footsteps descend the stairs and it was at that moment she kept telling herself not to lose it. These were their final moments together; she didn't want to ruin them by being a big bawl bag. Instead, Scarlett focused on making sure all of her personal belongings were packed away in their suitcases and bags. If she left something behind, she'd never forgive herself.

When she figured everything was in order, she slung the duffle bag and her purse on each shoulder and then rolled her two remaining suitcases out in the hall. With one last look at her bedroom, she realized she wouldn't miss it one bit. It held a lot of good memories from the few months that she lived there but if the Fenway job went wrong, those memories would surely turn into painful ones. With that said, she was kind of glad she was leaving it behind.

Turning on her heel, she rolled her suitcases down the hall before hoisting them upwards so she could carry them down the stairs. Waiting at the bottom was Jem. The front door was wide open, a cool early September breeze whistling through the house. When she reached the bottom, she handed one suitcase to Jem and then followed him out of the house and to his car.

They loaded her belongings into his car in silence. Every so often, their hands would brush up against one another and at one point, Scarlett let out an audible gasp. She hoped Jem didn't hear but of course he would. He was so perfectly tuned to her that there was no possible way he didn't hear.

Slamming the trunk shut, Jem shuffled around the car to the driver's side. Scarlett did the same so as not to miss her flight. But before she even climbed into the car, she turned back to the townhouse she called home for the past couple of months and admired it. The belongings that still remained within the hallowed rooms would make it to her eventually. When she finally decided to let her landlord know she wouldn't be returning, she'd have her send her the rest of her stuff. But for now, they would remain in the house without their owner.

Sighing, she pulled the handle to Jem's car door and slid inside. The car's ignition was already turned on but the eerie silence that filled that car was uncomfortable. Typically, Jem would blast some crappy rap music and Scarlett would give him the puppy dog eyes to convince him to let her change the station to something she liked. Today's ride to the airport seemed like that wouldn't be happening.

Scarlett buckled her seatbelt and kept her gaze focused in her lap, not saying a word to Jem. She heard him sigh and the car lurched forward as they pulled out of the parking spot. The ride to the airport was going to be a long and dreadful one.

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Cars weaved in and out of the heavy traffic that filtered onto the roads that led to the airport. Shuttle buses stopped intermittently at each terminal to let out passengers who were ready to catch their flights. Some cars were parked by the curb, their passengers standing on the sidewalk and hugging one another goodbye.

Jem cruised along the road until he reached Terminal E of Logan International Airport. He passed by the terminal to find a parking spot and, luckily, found one a couple feet up the road. He pulled into the parking spot and put the car in park.

For a couple seconds, Scarlett and Jem sat in silence. They knew it wouldn't be long until security came tapping on their window to ask them to move the car. They had to do something soon before they go a ticket or Jem drew attention to them.

"I'll get your bags," Jem said flatly as he cut the engine and climbed out of the car. The car shook as Jem slammed the door and Scarlett jumped at the action. In the side view mirror, Scarlett saw Jem unloading her suitcases onto the curb. With a sigh, she figured it was about time she got out of the car and faced her fate.

Hoisting her purse onto her shoulder, she pushed open the passenger door and stumbled out of the car. She slammed the door just as Jem slammed the trunk shut. All of her suitcases – all four of them – were positioned on the sidewalk, lined up one next to the other in a neat line.

"Okay," he sighed as he rested his hands on his hips. "Probably should've asked this at the house but do you have your tickets?"

Scarlett nodded. She shifted her purse and duffle bag around to retrieve a white envelope from an outer pocket of her purse. She pulled the envelope out and waved it in front of Jem.

"Oh, okay good," he said glumly.

Scarlett nodded solemnly. They hadn't said a word to one another since they'd left the house, possibly before that. They needed to say something to each other before it was too late.

"So, umm, I should probably check-in my bags and pay the fees for the extra ones," Scarlett said as she scratched the top of her head absentmindedly. Stepping forward, Scarlett grabbed two of the suitcases while Jem grabbed the other two. They rolled them towards the weighing station and checked them in. When it came to paying the fees for the extra bags and being over the weight limit, Jem pulled out his wallet and handed the airport personnel his credit card.

When Scarlett's baggage was processed, the airport personnel handed the receipt and Jem's card back to him and wished them a safe trip.

_If only he were coming with me_, Scarlett thought to herself as she walked back towards the car with him.

They reached the car and Jem pulled his keys out of his pocket, unlocking the car with the remote. The car's headlights blinked and a clicking sounded from inside the car resonated as the locks unlocked.

"So…be careful when you get there," Jem mumbled. "Don't go into strange alleyways and don't talk to strange men."

Scarlett couldn't stop the smile that was spreading across her face. "I won't."

"And stick with that professor of yours. Listen to what he says," Jem said.

"Jem," Scarlett whined. "I'm almost thirty years old. I can take care of myself."

Jem nodded and then flashed a smirk to die for. "Come here, sweetheart."

Scarlett nearly flung herself into Jem's arms, pressing herself against his chest and wrapping her arms around his neck. She rested her head against his chest and breathed in his scent, that familiar scent of musky cologne and cigarettes. She felt Jem shift in her grasp and he bumped her purse with his hand.

"Shit, sorry," he said half-heartedly.

Scarlett didn't want to let go, but she had to. She couldn't miss her flight. Reluctantly, she pulled away from Jem and bit the inside of her cheek to keep the tears from falling down her face. Scarlett studied her fiancé's face for as long as she possibly could. This was, quite possibly, the last time she would see him. She didn't want to think negatively, but even Jem knew the Fenway wouldn't go the way they wanted it to. This could be their last time seeing each other.

"Take care of yourself, sweetheart," Jem mumbled lowly.

Scarlett swallowed heavily. "I love you, Jem," she whined, her voice cracking as she said his name.

Jem's blue-grey eyes bore into her crystal blue ones. "I love you too, baby."

Scarlett choked back a strangled sob in her throat. She couldn't be walking through the airport with tears streaming down her face. It would draw attention to herself. She had to keep her emotions in check.

"You should probably go," he said flatly.

Scarlett nodded her head tersely and then hoisted her purse higher onto her shoulder. Grabbing her carry-on duffle bag, she turned on her heel and headed towards the automatic sliding doors for the terminal. With one last glance over her shoulder, she saw Jem sullenly leaning against his car, his hands shoved into his track jacket pockets. He had slid his sunglasses onto his face and Scarlett wondered if he was crying.

Raising her hand, she waved glumly at the bad boy from Charlestown and then turned to face forward as she walked into the terminal. She never looked back.

* * *

In seat 3B in first class of Flight 136 headed to Dublin, Scarlett sat staring out the window as the remaining passengers finished boarding the flight. It wasn't long until the jetway connecting the plane and the airport was pulled away from the aircraft. Soon after, the engines started to rev up and the pilot's voice filled the loudspeaker.

"Good morning passengers," the deep voice said. "It is 10:15 a.m. on Sunday, September 3. We are expected to arrive at Dublin Airport at 9:15 later this evening. A meal is expected to be served while snacks will also be provided.

"At this time," the pilot continued. "I would like to kindly ask that you please turn off all electronic devices, buckle your seatbelts, and divert your attention to the lovely flight attendants to the front of the aircraft."

The pilot continued his spiel on flight safety but Scarlett didn't pay attention. She reached under her seat and snatched her purse to turn off her phone. She pulled open her bag and reached in to search for her phone. As she rooted around the bag, her fingers brushed over a piece of cool metal. Furrowing her brow in confusion, her fingers locked around the material and she pulled her hand out to see a tangled mess of gold.

Uncurling her fingers, she found Jem's Celtic cross situated in the palm of her hand. Taking the piece of metal between her thumb and forefinger, she could feel tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. As long as she had known Jem, he'd never taken this off. Even when they made love in the middle of the night, his Celtic cross still dangled from his neck.

"Fuck you, Coughlin," she whispered to herself before she giggled and then hooked the cross around her neck where it would stay for all of eternity.

* * *

Jem swiftly walked down the sidewalk outside of Fenway. He had to get away from the park as quickly as possible. Dez and Gloansy were dead. The FBI knew they were there. Someone had ratted them out. Jem needed to get out of here before something worse happened. He needed to get to Ireland to be with Scarlett.

As Jem walked down the sidewalk, he could feel a presence behind him, as if he was being followed. He heard the sound of a car door slam and he swiftly slipped through a chain link fence, but the presence behind him was still in pursuit.

"Officer, can you hold up a minute?" the voice behind him asked.

_Shit_, Jem thought. He could hear the person behind him mumbling into a walkie-talkie, calling for backup, but Jem wasn't going to look behind him. He was going to keep walking and face forward.

"Officer!" the voice called again. There was a slight pause and Jem hoped this guy would keep up with the charade. "Coughlin!"

Jem took two more steps before turning on his heel to face his pursuer. He fired several rounds in his direction but the FBI agent – whom Jem recognized as Agent Frawley from when he was interrogated after the truck robbery in July – dove behind a car. Firing several more rounds, Jem stepped forward in hopes of getting Agent Frawley off of his tail. But the FBI agent just scampered around the car, fleeing from Jem.

After rounding the car twice, Jem fled, but not after Agent Frawley fired one shot from his shotgun in Jem's direction.

_Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!_ Jem's thoughts screamed.

He ran full speed out of the parking lot and into oncoming traffic. He heard the sirens of several police cars and he saw the flashing lights as they skidded to a half to block traffic. Jem ran out into the middle of the road, dodging several cars that had managed to get past the police car barricade.

A few more police cars made their way to the scene and Jem fired several rounds in their direction, even taking down a few officers in the process. Ducking down as an oncoming car made its way past him, he reloaded his gun and prepared for the next round.

"Move! Move!" he heard Agent Frawley scream.

The car sped away, leaving Jem vulnerable in the middle of the street. He turned around and fired several more shots at the policemen before he was sent flying backwards from the impact of a bullet hitting his bulletproof vest.

Scrambling to his feet, he ran towards the closest thing for shelter, which just so happened to be a mailbox on the other side of the road. Breathing heavily through his mouth, he ran towards the mailbox. He was just about to reach it when he felt a searing pain rip through the back of his right thigh. He stumbled to the ground, hitting the sidewalk with his duffle bag absorbing the impact.

Quickly, he scrambled behind the mailbox and pressed his back against the metal object. Catching his breath, he unloaded his machine gun and then pulled out a handgun from his back pocket.

"Coughlin, throw down your weapon!" Jem heard Frawley shout.

Jem rolled his eyes. "Fuck you!" he shouted.

"Let me see those hands, right now!" Frawley shouted.

Jem groaned and then whipped his handgun around, firing into the crowd of policemen until the gun was empty. "_Fuck you!_"

The cartridge fell out and Jem whipped it onto the sidewalk. He rested his head against the mailbox and heaved a sigh.

"You've got thirty seconds asshole!" Frawley shouted angrily.

Jem sat on the sidewalk, contemplating his options. He could give himself up and go back to Walpole for the rest of his life or he could hold his own court in the street. He didn't see another option here. He didn't see himself making to Ireland to be with Scarlett again.

Jem caught his breath and then put his handgun back together. He refused to go back to Walpole. He'd rather die than go back to Walpole. If that meant Scarlett had to raise their child alone, then so be it. As selfish as it sounded, he didn't want her to return to the States and suffer through visiting him in Walpole, let alone bring their child with her.

_Sorry Scarlett_, he wished. He locked his gun into place, took a deep breath, and then let fate deal with the rest.

* * *

Scarlett had been in Ireland for 24 hours and all she'd done was sat in her apartment and moped. When Dr. Patterson had arrived at the airport to pick her up, he'd taken her out to a late dinner. She'd been thankful that he was nice enough to go out of his way to not only provide her with housing but also take her out to dinner. However, that didn't mean she enjoyed it.

She must have been a terrible dinner companion for her mind had been elsewhere. She was awfully tired and jet lagged. All she wanted to do was sleep, but when Dr. Patterson had dropped her off at the apartment he was loaning her, sleep evaded her. She'd changed into a pair of comfortable yoga pants and a t-shirt and climbed into bed, but she couldn't get comfortable. She knew it would take some time to get used to the new bed; she knew her sleeplessness wasn't because of the different bed.

So she had stayed awake for the rest of the night, staring blankly at the walls and wandering aimlessly throughout the apartment. Sometime early in the morning, she'd begun to unpack her clothes and belongings. She shoved most of the things in the dresser that Dr. Patterson had provided for her but the rest of her things needed to be hung up. She'd have to go out and buy hangers when she was in the mood.

Around eight in the morning, her morning sickness sent her streaking for the bathroom. For a good ten minutes, she was hunched over the toilet bowl, heaving and retching. When she was finished, she flushed the toilet and then spent the next half hour sitting on the bathroom floor. Every so often, she looked around and admired the bathroom. For an apartment that was in an old building, the entire apartment was pretty updated and modern. She had to give Dr. Patterson credit for that. With a sigh, she pushed herself off of the floor and continued unpacking her belongings.

For the remainder of the day, she wandered around the apartment and admired Dr. Patterson's style. It was a very simple apartment with a living room, kitchen, two bedrooms, and two bathrooms. The apartment was already equipped with internet and cable but neither of those would entertain Scarlett. Not while she had so much on her mind.

Around one o'clock in the afternoon, Scarlett felt like the walls were closing in on her so she ventured outside to find the nearest grocery store. She strolled down the quiet one-way street the apartment building was located on, weaving in and out of the crowds until she found the perfect small grocery store for all of her necessary items. She grabbed a basket and started to pile some items in until she was satisfied with what she had.

After paying for her food, she strolled back to her apartment. When she reached her floor, she found that Dr. Patterson had stopped by, dropping off a basket full of food by the door. She smiled to herself and she was grateful that Dr. Patterson was looking out for her.

Stumbling into the apartment, she put away all of her items before she moved about the apartment to open up all the windows. Satisfied with the progress she'd made, she moved about the apartment to work on other oddities. She needed to keep herself occupied as much as possible.

She spent most of the day tidying the apartment and moving the furniture to her liking. She knew she shouldn't be putting too much strain on her body but given the circumstances, moving furniture around didn't seem like such a big deal. She unpacked her bathroom necessities and arranged them in the cabinet until she thought she'd developed OCD.

By the time she'd finished, it was around six o'clock and she was hungry. She quickly fixed herself a sandwich before heading to the bathroom to hop in the shower. As she let the water cascade down her body, she felt as if it was washing away all of the dirt and grime that Boston had left on her. She scrubbed her body as hard as possible until her skin was bright red and raw.

Rinsing off and wrapping a towel around her body, she padded into the bedroom and pulled on the same yoga pants and t-shirt from the night before. She dried her hair to the best of her ability before crawling into bed. Given her jet lag and lack of sleep, it seemed that sleep was starting to take over her body. She pulled the covers up to her chin and the moment her head hit the pillow, she was out like a light.

Scarlett was stirred from sleep hours later when she heard the familiar muffled ringing of her cell phone. Groggily, she rubbed her eyes before stumbling out of bed. She glanced at the clock on her way to her purse and noticed that it was very early in the morning, 3:36 to be exact. Stumbling around in the dark, she finally reached her purse, which was on top of her dresser.

In her half-asleep haze, she was angry that someone was calling her this early in the morning. Didn't they know that pregnant women, no matter what trimester they were in, needed sleep? And practically everyone she knew was aware that she was in Ireland so they should have been considerate enough to not call early in the morning.

But as she was rooting through her bag, there was another reason as to why she was receiving a call this early in the morning. Her hand froze as it closed around her phone and for a second, she didn't want to pull it out. There was very little chance that this phone call was good news. Subconsciously, she was preparing herself for the worst.

In one swift movement, her phone was out of her bag and by her ear. Taking a deep breath, she answered.

"Hello?"

* * *

**Did I just end that chapter on the best/worst cliffhanger possible? Oh yeah, I did. My bad! Stay tuned for the epilogue!**

**As always, thank you for adding this to your favorites, signing up for alerts, and reviewing. Reviews are very much appreciated and they make me happy so please leave me a lovely review to let me know what you think! (The quicker you review, the quicker I'll have the epilogue up muahahahaha!)**


	23. Epilogue: Five Years Later

**I was going to wait a couple more hours to post this (it's pretty much been finished since last night) but I figured I'd be nice and post it now. I'm not sure how I'll be feeling emotionally later because tonight's the season finales of _The Vampire Diaries _and _Grey's Anatomy_ so yeah. Better do it now as opposed to later when I'll most likely be a sobbing mess. Stupid shows that mess with my emotions. Anyways, here's the last chapter. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the song lyrics at the end of this chapter. They belong to the lovely Lana Del Rey.**

* * *

**Epilogue: Five Years Later**

Scarlett sat in the living room of her townhouse in the heart of Dublin. Though the sounds of cars beeping and the buzz of voices floated into the open windows, the townhouse itself was completely silent. As Scarlett flipped through a book, she quickly glanced up at the clock on the wall. It wouldn't be long until her daughter would return home from school. The tranquil home would soon become a circus thanks to the small four-year-old that would come bounding through the door soon.

Like clockwork, she heard the front door slam, followed by the sound of tiny feet pounding across the hardwood floor.

"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" chanted the blonde four-year-old as she flung herself onto the couch.

Scarlett smiled at the little girl as she set her book on the end table and opened her arms to welcome the small child home. The blonde girl climbed into Scarlett's lap and curled into her mother's embrace. Scarlett dropped a kiss to the top of the little girl's head and hugged her close.

"Hi darling, how was your day at school?" Scarlett asked.

"It was good," the little girl chirped. "We learned about fairy tales and then we read Cinderella."

"Well that sounds fun," Scarlett said as she ran her fingers through the little girl's blonde locks. Her daughter slid off of Scarlett's lap but curled into her side. Scarlett couldn't help but stare at her daughter for she had an uncanny likeness towards Jem. Though her daughter's hair was closer to Scarlett's, her eyes rivaled Jem's. Every time she looked into them, she couldn't help but think she was looking into the eyes of James Coughlin.

All of a sudden, Scarlett was aware that her daughter had walked into the house by herself. Her heart started to race at the sudden realization that her daughter had possibly walked home alone.

"Hey Katherine, sweetie," Scarlett said as she shifted on the couch. "Where's – ."

Scarlett was interrupted by the sound of the door slamming again. Moments later, Jem came huffing and puffing around the corner. He stopped in the doorway to the living room as he braced his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

"Katherine Marie, how many times do I have to tell you not to take off like that?" Jem questioned breathlessly.

"Sorry Daddy," the little girl named Katherine blushed as she shrunk into Scarlett's side. Scarlett giggled as she glanced down at Katherine, who was gripping the blanket that was draped across Scarlett's lap.

Suddenly, Katherine twisted in her seat to face her mother. "Mommy, can I have a snack?" she asked innocently.

"Mhmmm," Scarlett hummed with a nod. "I just washed some baby carrots today. They're in the fridge. You can have those."

"Okay Mommy!" Katherine exclaimed as she jumped off the couch and ran into the kitchen.

"If I catch you eating cookies, Katherine Marie, we will not buy them at the story anymore!" Scarlett yelled after her daughter.

"Got it Mommy!" Katherine's voice echoed from the kitchen.

Scarlett shook her head at her daughter as Jem sat down on the couch next to her. He gave her a quick peck on the lips before sprawling out on the couch with a pillow shoved on his face.

The past five years since the Fenway job had been quiet. The night she received that phone call from Jem, she slept for twelve hours straight. Of course she didn't like hearing he'd been shot but the fact that Scarlett's friend, Lacey, had opened her home to him and gave him medical attention eased her worries.

However, when she woke up the next morning, she felt bad for Doug. Just as Jem was about to rush the police, Doug had created a diversion which allowed for Jem to get away. Jem got away and as far as they both knew, Doug was serving a life sentence in Walpole. From there, Jem paid a quick visit to the florist, killing both him and his right hand man, Rusty. He also managed to swipe several thousands of dollars from Fergie's safe, the keys to Fergie's car, as well as his fake passport and official legal documents that Fergie kept under lock and key. To say that Fergie had controlled his life for years was an understatement.

From there, Jem searched for refuge until it blew over and that's when he ran into Lacey, who, despite not agreeing with the whole situation, offered him shelter and medical attention. She reassured him that she wasn't helping him because he deserved it; she was helping him because he was her best friend's fiancé.

It was later that day when Lacey gave him permission to call Scarlett. The FBI was still searching for him, so in case they got caught, at least he was able to let Scarlett know he was still alive. Once he got off the phone with Scarlett, he started to make plans to get to Ireland without drawing attention to himself. He was a wanted man after all.

It was three days later when Jem drove out of state, bought a one-way ticket to Ireland at an airport in Pennsylvania, and headed to Ireland. Before he left, he called Scarlett one last time to let her know he was on his way. The FBI was still looking for him but he had breezed through check-in and security at the airport. Before he knew it, his flight was taking off, bound for Dublin.

Their reunion was a happy one. Actually, happy was an understatement. Either way, Scarlett was beyond thrilled to see Jem when he appeared at the top of the escalator during its descent into baggage claim. Before he'd even stepped off of the escalator, Scarlett had slammed into him, wrapping both her arms and legs around him. And of course, there were tears, tears of joy.

It was a couple days later when they finally got hitched. It was nothing extravagant. They signed some papers, said their "I do's," and then went back to the apartment to screw around. They were finally married. They were going to have a baby in roughly seven months. They both had Irish citizenship. They could work in Ireland or anywhere within the European Union if they got bored of Ireland. Life seemed like it was finally falling into place for them.

From that point on, however, it was all work and no play. The job hunt wasn't an easy one for Jem. While Scarlett was still working on getting permission to practice law in Ireland, there wasn't much a guy with no college education could get for a job. Eventually, Jem found a job as a bartender as a local pub part time. It wasn't much but at least it was a job.

As the months wore on and Scarlett's belly grew bigger, work seemed to pick up for Jem at the pub. He started picking up more hours as people called out sick. It eventually got the point that the owner bumped him up to full-time and appointed him as a manager.

Scarlett still brought home the bacon, though. After Katherine was born, she finally got permission to practice in Ireland. She found a job at a nice firm with thanks to Dr. Patterson and started to earn a hefty amount of money. Enough that they moved out of the apartment Dr. Patterson loaned to them and got a nice townhouse of their own.

Though five years had passed since the Fenway job and no one had come after them, Scarlett still worried. If Katherine walked through the door a couple seconds before Jem, Scarlett's heart stopped for a split second until she caught sight of Jem. Then her nerves would be at ease.

"She drives me nuts sometimes, you know that?" Jem's muffled voice said from underneath the pillow.

Scarlett giggled. "She wouldn't be your kid if she didn't."

Jem chucked the pillow across the room and sat upright on the couch. "By the way, you're so damn strict with her. She's four. Give her a break," Jem griped.

Scarlett rolled her eyes. "We're not going to teach her that it's okay to have cookies and ice cream as an after school snack," she said as she eyed Jem. She knew that he gave her all kinds of sweets when Scarlett was still at work and it was just the two of them.

Jem shrugged. "Well, too late," he said. He inched closer to Scarlett and pushed aside the blanket that was draped across her lap to reveal the small bump protruding from her stomach. Scarlett was wearing Jem's favorite Irish Pub Boxing t-shirt, which just so happened to be Scarlett's favorite as well. Though the shirt was pretty baggy and loose on her, Jem could easily see the bump of her stomach that was home to their second child.

"We'll start new with this one. We won't screw him up," Jem said affectionately. They had just found out the other day that they were having a boy. Though Jem was happy about it, he was determined to do things right when it came to raising his son. Jem wanted to be there for his son because Jem's own father wasn't there for him.

Jem's hand slithered across Scarlett's four and a half months pregnant stomach just as his son kicked him right in the palm. He saw a smile spread across Scarlett's face out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head and smirked at his wife before leaning over and kissing her passionately on the lips.

Suddenly, there was a loud clatter that came from the kitchen that caused Jem and Scarlett to break apart. There was another small clatter, followed by the innocent voice of Katherine. "I didn't do it!" she shouted.

Jem and Scarlett snickered to themselves and Jem stood up from the couch. He reached out and offered up his hands to help her up. With a smile, Scarlett obliged and took his hands so he could help her off of the couch. As she stood up, the blanket that was draped across her lap fell to the floor in a heap at her feet.

The sound of tiny feet pounded down the hall as Katherine ran past the entrance to the living room and ran up the stairs to her bedroom. "I didn't do it! I didn't do it! I didn't do it!" she shouted frantically.

Jem chuckled at his crazy daughter before turning back to Scarlett, who was stifling a laugh herself. Stepping forward, Jem placed his hands on both sides of Scarlett's burgeoning stomach. He rubbed her bump with his thumbs as Scarlett placed her hands on top of his.

"I love you, Jem Coughlin," Scarlett said with a goofy smile on her face.

Jem chuckled. "I love you too, Scarlett Coughlin."

"You'll never get tired of saying that, will you?" Scarlett asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"Not a chance," Jem whispered as he leaned into her once more and softly pressed his lips to hers.

* * *

_Don't make me sad, don't make me cry,_

_Sometimes love is not enough and the road gets tough_

_I don't know why._

_Keep making me laugh,_

_Let's go get high._

_The road is long, we carry on_

_Try to have fun in the meantime_

_Come on take a walk on the wild side,_

_Let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain._

_You like your girls insane._

_Choose your last words, this is the last time,_

_Cause you and I, we were born to die._

* * *

**You guys thought I killed him. Ha! I've had this planned since a lot of you started asking to NOT kill him. And this has been written out on my phone for months. I'm so happy it's finally out in the open.**

**Anyways, here's where I thank everyone. Seriously, thank you guys so much for reading this. This was my first foray into The Town fanfiction so I thank you all for supporting this. Thank you so much to everyone who signed up for alerts and added this story to their favorites. It really means a lot. Now for the big one. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed this story at some point: IAmTheStars, clarinetgirl628, somuchforu, Malmal86, iReginaM, lilacring1120, Allie, Hawaiichick, Megan The Legit, NeedNotNoName, ILoveThee, Fallen Angel of Sorrow, ParisAmy, Clintasha101, Duchess of Strumpetness, Ciara, ZeDancingHobbit, casper6six6, kimbo, Llatias, ILuvOdie, 13PotterCheers, Coley Coughlin, ellavescent, smallpea8, shaneequa, Hawks arrow, Agnesita1385, Shanel, Lunapirate, JoAnne, and jalenvictoriaxo. Thank you so, so much!**

**If any of you are interested in another Jem fic, I was thinking of writing one about when he was a teenager, before he went to Walpole. So let me know in a review or even inbox me if you're interested. It's in a very early phase (especially I have other stories to update as well as others to begin that I promised to some of my readers that are for the Clintasha/Avengers fandom) but I think I can have it up sometime this summer. Maybe sometime within the next month. Maybe earlier. I don't know. I really don't want to let Jem go haha.**

**Anyways, I thank you all so very much. It means a lot that many of you stuck around to read this. I can't thank you enough! I love you all!**


	24. Author's Note

Hello dear readers! I just wanted to let you know that my Jem fic set during his teenage years is up. A lot of you expressed interest in the story but I wasn't getting a lot reviews, alerts, or favorites, so I wondered if any of you knew about it. So, I'm putting it in this author's note that it's up!

It's called _Dark Paradise_ and there are already two chapters. It's also on Ao3 if you have an account on there. My user name is Brandi_Golightly.

Please try to check it out and give me some feedback or I will take it down. No sense in having it on my profile if no one's interested (and seriously, I'm not trying to guilt you guys into it). It would just make me feel better if I knew people were reading, reviewing, and enjoying it and that I'm not working on this for my own enjoyment. Though that sounds fun, it seems like a waste of my time because I'd be working on a story that only I'm enjoying when I could be using that time to work on my other stories. It's a valid point, I think.

Okay, enough of my rambling. It's there if you said you were interested. Byeeee!


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